Two Roses for One Princess
by Bellethiel
Summary: After moving to Japan from the U.S. and becoming a new student at Ouran Academy, Valerie finds her way into the Host Club. She eventually befriends the hosts, especially the twins, but what happens when Kaoru realizes he's falling in love with her?
1. Chapter 1: This Changes Everything

**Two Roses for One Princess**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori. The only things I own are my original characters and the ideas in this story. **

**Chapter One: This Changes Everything**

"Hello? Yes, this is him…yes…really? Oh, wow…yes, that would be very kind of you…Yes, I'll discuss all that with you once my daughter and I get there…You're welcome, goodbye."

I could only hear my dad's end of the conversation as I stood in the small kitchen of our one-story house. I frowned in curiosity as I listened, it must have been something major because my dad looked really happy about something, but at the same time a little taken aback. "What's going on, Dad?" I asked after he hung up.

"You know how I showcased that phone design at that event in Sacramento last March?"

I nodded. My dad had come up with a new cell phone that allowed the users to communicate with each other by live video, with excellent sound and picture quality. He went to this event in Sacramento that gave him the chance to present the phone to potential buyers from all over the world, and from what he'd told me they seemed really impressed by it.

"I got a call from one of the buyers from Japan. He thought that this was something that the Japanese would be interested in buying, so he got the word out on his website about what the phone did. He was calling me to give me a report on how the idea was received over there."

"And? How did it go?" I pressed.

My dad smiled. "Even better than I'd hoped. It really caught on and it's in really high demand now. He said that practically everyone there wants to place an order for one of these."

"That's great! Why do you seem so hesitant, though?"

"Well, since it's so popular there…the buyer who just called is the owner of one of the biggest electronics manufacturing companies in Japan, and he's set up my own company and factory there. The company's in business and they're going to start making the phones because I just gave them permission to when they called, and all the money the phones earn is going to go directly to us."

"He's not patenting the phone?"

Dad shook his head. "No, he said that since this was my invention I should get all the money for it. Also…I've decided to move us to Japan so that I can oversee the company."

I was stunned. Just that morning my dad was a computer programmer who designed electronics as a hobby in upstate New York, where I'd lived for most of my life. Now, he was a heartbeat away from striking it rich with a phone he created, and I was supposed to pack up my things and move to Japan. I gave my dad a hug. "Dad, don't worry about me, I'm not that bummed about moving. There's really nothing here for me anyway."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." I nodded. "I'm going to go hang out over at Katie's for a little bit, is that okay? I need to tell her this sooner or later."

"Of course it is. Just don't stay too late."

"I won't." With that I went outside and made the short walk to my best friend Katie's house. When I knocked on the door it was instantly opened by her.

"Hey, Valerie!" Katie smiled and hugged me. She studied my face. "What's wrong? You seem really on edge about something."

"Yeah, um, there's something I need to tell you." I said as we walked into her basement. I sat down on the couch and put my head in my hands, unsure of how to tell her. When I finally came up with the right words to say, I explained the opportunity that had just been presented to my dad, and how he had the extremely high chance of making a fortune with it. "Where I'm going with this is…" I sighed. "I'm moving to Japan with my dad in a few weeks."

"Wait, back up. Japan? Wow, Valerie, that's amazing!" Katie exclaimed. "It's a little depressing to know that you're moving halfway across the world, but it's still amazing that you get to live there."

"I know, but it's just going to be hard to be away from you and the States."

"Think of it this way, this will be a chance for you to start over, which is something you've wanted for a while." Katie reasoned.

"I know, but…I admit it, I'm scared."

"About what?"

"Everything, I guess, like living in a new country, and going to a new school and not knowing anybody there."

"Can I give you a piece of advice?" Katie asked, and I nodded. "Don't be scared. If you think about it, you really have nothing to worry about. Nobody will know you over there, so who you were back home won't matter to anyone. Besides," She smiled. "This gives you an excuse to finally go to Japan."

"Yeah, you've got a point there." I laughed. Thanks to a class project back in grade school I'd wanted to go to Japan ever since I was eight, so I wasn't going to pass it up now that I had the chance.

**0000**

Before I knew it, moving day had arrived. At least, it had for me. Dad ended up having to leave a week earlier than planned because he'd been asked to come inspect the factory, and there had been a few events planned in his honor to celebrate the phone becoming such a success. I'd received an unbelievably excited call from Dad a day after he'd left, saying that from the minute the phone was officially put on the market, he had in fact made a fortune. During that call he also told me that he'd already bought us a new house and that he was starting the process of finding a new school for me to go to. I couldn't believe just how quickly things were happening, but at the same time I couldn't have been happier for him.

My uncle had been staying with me for my last week in New York, so he picked me up early from school on my last day so that I could do any last-minute packing if I needed to before we went to the airport (even though most of the house had already been emptied so that the new owners could move in after I'd left). At that point the whole school knew that I was moving to Japan, so throughout the school day I was greeted with looks of curiosity and the sight of people whispering things with their eyes glued to me when they thought I wasn't looking. When I was dismissed, I left the building and didn't look back, determined to focus on what I'd be gaining rather than what I'd be leaving behind.

Even though Katie had met up with us at the airport to see me off, saying goodbye to her was the hardest part of that day. I tried to keep myself calm as we hugged each other goodbye, but I ended up crying anyway. She'd been my best friend for years, helping me through some of the worst times of my life. I knew it would probably be difficult to say goodbye to her, but I hadn't expected it to be as hard as it turned out to be.

"Email me, call me, and always remember I love you best." Katie said before I boarded the plane. "You're going to be fine, I promise."

"What, you can tell the future?" I managed a small smile.

She laughed. "No, but I have a hunch."

As the plane took off, I realized I was going to miss my simple lifestyle back in the States, but something told me something so much better was waiting for me in Japan. Whether or not that would actually happen remained to be seen, but I was definitely ready to start over.

**Author's Note: Just so you all know, Ouran characters will be introduced around chapter three; I just wanted to explain my original characters' backgrounds during the first chapter. This is my first Ouran fanfic, so constructive criticism is fine, but NO FLAMES. Please review, as it's the only way for me to know whether or not to continue this. **


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to the Rich Life

**Chapter Two: Welcome to the Rich Life**

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are making our final descent into Tokyo, Japan. We hope you enjoy your time here, and thank you for flying with us."

I grabbed my carry-on and wheeled it off the plane with me as I disembarked, and when I got into the gate I felt a little nervous as I looked around. I had no idea who was meeting me there, and because every sign around me was in Japanese I didn't dare try to find my way around the airport because I knew I'd get lost. I spoke it well because I'd taken a few Japanese language classes over the last few years, but I still had trouble reading the characters at times. Just as I was starting to give up, I saw a young uniformed man holding up a sign with my name on it clearly written in English. I smiled and walked over to him.

"Are you Valerie Russell, miss?" he asked, his English heavily accented but still fluent.

"Yes, I am, sir." I replied, first in English and then Japanese.

"Ah, so you do speak Japanese!" The man laughed, sounding relieved. He bowed. "My name is Masaru, and I'm your chauffer. I was asked to meet you here so that I could take you home."

"Hello Masaru-kun, it's nice to meet you." I bowed back. "And thanks for meeting me here."

"You're very welcome. Now, shall we get your things?" He guided me to the baggage claim area and after a few minutes I saw my biggest suitcase come onto the conveyer belt. I tried to pick it up, but Masaru got to it first and carried it out of the airport for me. There was a limousine parked in front of the airport's entrance, which he piled both of my suitcases into.

"You don't mind carrying my suitcase or driving me around?" I asked as I watched him.

"No, not at all." Masaru assured me. When he closed the trunk door there was a kind and understanding look on his face. "I know that you're not accustomed to people doing things for you, Mistress Valerie, but I promise that the rest of the staff and I will always do what you ask us to. It will not bother us."

"Okay, but I promise not to ask you to do anything unreasonable." I replied. Masaru opened the door for me and I smiled before I got in. "Thanks."

As we drove I was completely focused on what I could see outside from the limo's windows. It still felt unreal that I was now in Japan to live there, but I was sure I would get used to it soon. Masaru helped me pass the time by striking up a conversation with me which helped us get to know each other a little better. He insisted that I call him just Masaru now that we were more familiar with each other.

"We're here." Masaru announced as we pulled up onto a driveway. When he opened the door for me to get out, my jaw dropped. This house, my new house, was a pure white two-story tall mansion, easily the grandest one I'd ever seen. The inside was even more luxurious than I thought it would be, and there were a few uniformed servants around. Dad sure hadn't been kidding around when he said he was in fact making a fortune!

"Do you like it?" Masaru asked, smiling.

"I…I'm in awe, actually." I managed.

"Mistress Valerie, your father's upstairs." A young woman wearing a pale blue tea-length maid's dress and white apron said. "If you'd like I'll take you to see him before I show you your room."

"Sure, thank you." I nodded and followed her upstairs. On the second floor we arrived at what looked to be a small office. The maid nodded and I knocked on the door.

"Come in." Dad called, and his face lit up when he saw me after looking up from something he was reading on his computer. He gave me a hug. "Welcome home, sweetheart. I've missed you."

"Me too." I sat down in front of his desk with a smirk. "So, how much dough have you made so far?"

Dad laughed. "A whole lot more than I used to, that's for sure. Seriously, this phone's turned me into a multimillionaire just from sales in Japan alone. We might even try to sell these in Europe in a year or so."

"That's awesome. Um, have you found any schools for me to look into?" I know, a question like that was weird for a sixteen-year-old girl to ask, but I'd always taken school seriously enough to do well.

"Well, I was at a party a few days ago, and I asked some of the people I met if there were any schools in the area that you could go to. There was one that they highly recommended, Ouran Academy. It's a private school and most of the students come from rich families, but paying for it shouldn't be a problem."

"How am I supposed to get registered there?"

"I think we're supposed to go to the school for an interview with the chairman. How about I get in contact with him to see if we can set up an appointment with him?"

"Sure." I nodded. "I need to get a start on unpacking, so I guess I'll see you later."

"Okay. I've been told dinner's going to be ready in a couple hours, so I'll see you then. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad." I hugged him again, and then left so that the maid could show me to my room. I then realized she'd been waiting for me there the whole time. "I'm sorry I took so long, I didn't mean to leave you standing there."

The maid laughed kindly. "Don't worry, it's fine! By the way, my name is Akemi, I'm your personal maid."

"It's nice to meet you, Akemi-chan."

"Call me Akemi, it sounds less uptight." She smiled.

"Okay, Akemi." I smiled back and followed her to my room, which turned out to be only two rooms down from Dad's office.

My new bedroom's color scheme was mainly white with gold accents, the carpet and the walls were both a very delicate shade of cream. The bed had a gold comforter with gold and white pillows, and a white canopy hung over the bed. A little further into the room was a small living area with a couch and two armchairs, both white. An oak table was situated in front of the couch and chairs, and sunlight was generously pouring into the room thanks to a huge window with white draperies hanging down from it. "Oh wow, this room is amazing." I breathed.

"I'm glad you like it." Akemi smiled. "I'll let you take some time to unpack, and I'll come back later to let you know when your dinner is ready."

"Okay." Once she had left me I started to put my clothes and toiletries away, and I realized that the amount of things I'd brought with me didn't even take up half the space in the closet and bathroom. I eventually shrugged it off, _I guess_ _it's just something I'll have to get used to_, I thought.

As we at dinner that evening, Dad told me that he'd managed to get in contact with Ouran Academy's chairman. He said that the chairman was going to look over my transcript from my old school, and in two days we had an appointment with him to discuss the idea of me going to school there. I nodded and murmured occasionally when Dad told me more about the school itself, trying to hide how nervous I was since I knew there was a chance I wouldn't be accepted there. Still, I tried to convince myself that whatever ended up happening would be for the best.

**0000**

Ouran Academy could only be described in two words: the first, "opulent", the second, "enormous". At first glance I thought that we had arrived at a college rather than a high school, but the gold sign at the top of the gate told me otherwise. The buildings themselves looked more like a group of mansions clustered together, complete with gardens that matched. Even my dad was surprised by it.

Once in the right office, a man stood there waiting to greet us. He seemed to be in his mid to late forties, wearing an elegant suit and his short brown hair combed back. Upon seeing us, he smiled in welcome, revealing he was a good-looking man despite the fact he was getting on in years.

"Ah, you must be Craig Russell and Valerie Russell. I'm Yuzuru Suoh, the chairman of Ouran Academy." He bowed to both of us and we bowed back. "Please, take a seat." He gestured to two chairs in front of his desk. He smiled kindly at me. "And please, relax. I'm not the strictest chairman you'll ever meet."

"Sorry, I'm just trying to make a good impression." My cheeks reddened a little as the chairman gave me an understanding smile.

He turned his attention to Dad. "After looking over her transcript, as well as some of her past essays, I'm pleased to say that your daughter will fit in quite well here."

"That's all it takes? She's accepted?" Dad asked. "I thought she'd need to take an entrance exam or something to get in here."

"Yes, she's been accepted. Her transcript shows that she gets excellent grades, and she writes excellent essays. That shows that she's more than qualified to attend school here. She can start school next Monday, given that today is Friday and school has already ended for the day." Before we left, the chairman shook my hand. "Welcome to Ouran Academy, Miss Russell."


	3. Chapter 3:A New School and a Friend Made

**Chapter Three: A New School and a Friend Made**

"Mistress Valerie, wake up. It's your first day of school." A soft voice said as I was gently shaken awake.

"Hm?" I murmured, and I looked up to see Akemi there. "Morning, Akemi." I yawned. "What's up?"

"Your uniform is hanging up in your closet, and breakfast will be ready for you when you come downstairs."

"Okay. Thanks, Akemi." When she left I went into the bathroom to take a shower. After that I got dressed in the school uniform, which in my case was a pastel yellow dress. Examining my reflection I sighed. I looked ridiculous, almost like a doll, but at least it fit my average body and was comfortable. I arranged my thick waist-length straight brown hair into its usual braid, slipped on the uniform shoes and made my way downstairs for breakfast.

"So that's what the girls' uniform looks like." Dad observed as I sat down in the dining room with him.

"Yeah, but I'll live." I shrugged before I ate. I didn't hate dresses, they just weren't the kind of thing I'd wear on a regular basis.

When I had everything ready to go I joined Masaru in the limo and we made the short drive to Ouran Academy. When I saw the other students lingering around the campus, it felt like a high school as opposed to the college I had mistaken it for.

"Have a good day at school, Mistress Valerie. I'll be back at three thirty to take you home."

"Thanks, Masaru." I nodded and nervously made my way inside. A few students looked at me curiously as I tried to find my classroom.

"Class 1-A, class 1-A…where are you, class 1-A?" I muttered to myself. I was so busy examining my schedule that I didn't see the person that I ended up colliding with.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry!" the person exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, no harm done." I then noticed a pile of books in front of me, which I knew belonged to the other student. "If anything, I'm sorry for knocking these books out of your hands. Here, let me help you pick these up."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." I then got a good look at the person, it was a boy about my age with short dark brown hair and brown eyes, with very effeminate features. "I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you new?"

"Yeah, I'm just starting today." I nodded. "But I'm really overwhelmed by this place."

"I know exactly what _that_ feels like." The boy laughed, and his laugh sounded oddly feminine. "I'm Haruhi Fujioka, by the way." Haruhi held out his hand.

"Hi, Haruhi-kun, nice to meet you." I shook his hand. "I'm Valerie Russell."

"Nice to meet you too, Valerie-chan. I'll be honest, your name's pretty unusual, but I like it."

"Well, I'm American, so that's probably why." I smiled.

"Really? Wow, what brought you here to Japan?"

"My dad just invented something that really caught on here and we got rich because of it, your typical rags to riches story. And what about you? No offense, but you just don't strike me as the rich type."

"None taken, I'm not rich at all. I'm actually an honors student here on scholarship." Haruhi explained. "Guess we're both commoners in a school full of rich people."

"That's one way to look at it." I smiled. "But hey, us commoners have to stick together, right?"

"I guess we do." Haruhi laughed.

"Hey, Haruhi, do you think you could help me find class 1-A? I'm kind of lost."

"Sure. I'm in class 1-A too so I'll show you where it is."

"Thanks, Haruhi." I followed him to class feeling like this was going to be the start of a friendship between us.

**0000**

I tried to ease my nerves as I took in all the eyes staring at me, thanks to my new teacher's spectacular idea of having me stand up to introduce myself to the class. "Um, hi, I'm Valerie Russell, I just moved here from the States."

"Welcome to Ouran Academy, Miss Russell." The teacher gestured to an empty chair towards the back. "You can take a seat next to Mr. Fujioka."

Just before I sat down next to Haruhi, I noticed that there were two boys at the table next to us who looked exactly the same. _Interesting, they've got a set of twins here_, I noted.

Luckily, the students stayed in the same classroom all day while a different teacher came to teach each class, so I didn't have to worry about finding all these different classrooms. As the day progressed, Haruhi proved to be just the thing I needed to help me get adjusted. He filled me in on everything that had been covered so far and helped me with anything I had trouble with, and at lunch we sat together and just talked, mostly about our lives before we started attending Ouran Academy.

"Haruhi, I don't know how to ask this, but…um…" I motioned for him to lean closer, and when he did I lowered my voice so that nobody would hear my question. "You're actually a girl, aren't you?" She nodded. "So, why are you wearing a boy's uniform?"

Haruhi looked around to make sure nobody was watching us. "I was looking for a place to study when I stumbled upon the Host Club. I accidentally broke a vase they were going to auction off that was worth eight million yen, so I'm working for the club to pay them back for breaking it."

"Wait, what's the Host Club? And how are you going to pay them back?"

"It's a club that's made up of these six boys who entertain the girls here for profit. Anyway, the cross dressing ties into how I'll pay for the vase: if I can get enough customers to designate me as their host, the club will forget about the debt I owe them."

"I see. It must be hard to keep up that façade every day."

"It can be, but after a while it gets easier."

"That club sounds weird but kind of interesting. Where does it meet?"

"It's in the Third Music Room." Haruhi's expression darkened a little. "I should warn you, things in there can get really weird, really fast."

I laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

The end of the day came sooner than I thought it would. It turned out that the last couple of hours at school were saved for students to meet with clubs or to get a head start on homework, so I wouldn't need to give Dad a call to let him know I was staying after for something like I did at my old school. Although, I highly doubted a host club would be worth telling him about.

Upon reaching the Third Music Room, I saw that I was the only one there. I frowned but then laughed when I remembered I'd left class early so I could find the right room. This school was pretty laid back, so it wouldn't matter if I went to a club early, right?

The door was pulled open, sending a breeze carrying rose petals to greet me. Once that cleared, a group of six boys stood there.

"Welcome!" they chorused, their faces alight with dazzling smiles.

I smacked my forehead. "You've gotta be kidding me."


	4. Chapter 4: First Visit to the Host Club

**Chapter Four: First Visit to the Host Club**

"I see you found the club." Haruhi said when she saw me. The other members looked at me curiously while I managed to get a good look at them.

"Why, we have a new guest!" An absolutely gorgeous boy waltzed forward to greet me. He was tall with amazingly perfect features, shaggy light blonde hair that stylishly flopped in front of his eyes, which were a beautiful shade of violet. All that was topped off by a kind smile that made my cheeks burn just by looking at it. He handed me a red rose. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club, my princess! My name is Tamaki Suoh, and it's an honor to meet yet another beautiful lady such as you." He kissed my hand, never breaking eye contact.

_Okay, is this guy for real?_ I thought. Nevertheless, I decided to just go with it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Tamaki-kun. I'm –"

"Valerie Russell, first-year student in class 1-A. She transferred here from the United States after her father made a fortune selling a cell phone of his own design." A cool voice said just what I was about to say. The speaker turned out to be a boy with smooth black hair, glasses, dark gray eyes and a notebook comfortably resting in his hands.

"Valerie? That's such a lovely name." Tamaki smiled.

"Whoa, back up. How did you know all that?" I asked the boy with the glasses.

"I did a little research on you, partly to find out more about our new foreign student and partly to amuse myself." He smirked when he saw my eyes widen in surprise. "By the way, my name is Kyoya Otori."

"Otori…as in Otori Medical? Because my dad told me he'd met someone in the heath care business that had the name Otori."

"The same." Kyoya nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose. "He must have met my father."

I was about to say something else when I felt someone jump on me in a hug, nearly knocking me off my feet. "Hi, Val-chan!" He looked and sounded like he was an elementary school student, complete with the height to match. He had fluffy dark blonde hair and happy brown eyes. "My name's Mitsukuni Haninozuka, but you can call me Hunny!" He gave me a childlike grin that made him even more adorable than he already was as he held up a stuffed pink rabbit. "Would you like to hold my bunny Usa-chan?"

I laughed. "Sure! Why not?" I playfully tousled his hair, making him laugh too as he passed the bunny to me. A shadow then came over us and looked behind me to see another boy standing there. He was easily the tallest of them all, with short black hair that stuck out in all directions, a body that I could tell had a fair amount of muscle on it despite being covered by his uniform, and a face that kept a calm and collected expression on it.

Hunny ran over to the boy and climbed up on him so that he was able to sit on his shoulders. "And this is Takashi Morinozuka, but everyone calls him Mori."

"Hello, Mori-kun." I bowed, and he just nodded politely. Clearly he didn't speak all that much, but that wasn't a bad thing. I then noticed that there seemed to be someone missing from the group. "Um, weren't there two other guys with you, like, two minutes ago?"

Tamaki looked around and his eyes widened. "Why, yes! Where are Hikaru and Kaoru?"

"We're right here, boss." Two voices spoke at the same time, but I didn't get the chance to see who was speaking before the doors swung open and the room flooded with girls. The Host Club was now open for business.

**0000**

"I didn't think you were actually serious about what this club did, Haruhi." I admitted when she and I had some time to chat during a break. "But I guess I have to believe it given what's going on in this room."

The hosts were spilt up amongst the girls: one of them had his own hosting area where their customers grouped around them. I couldn't really tell exactly what the boys were doing, but judging by the fangirl squeals and giggling I heard I knew the girls liked what they were seeing. Every time I heard the girls do that, I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. The hosts couldn't be _that_ great…could they?

"Yeah, it takes a while to get used to all the craziness around here."

"Haruhi, if you have any hope of paying back that eight million yen you owe us, it would be wise if you joined the guests that just requested you." Kyoya gave her a stern look.

"Relax, sempai, I'll be right there." She shook her head and smiled at me apologetically. "He never fails to remind me of that debt. I'll see you later, Valerie."

"Okay, you too." I watched as Haruhi sat down with a bunch of very excited-looking girls. She didn't really have any sort of act going on like the boys did; it was just her being herself, which really seemed to be the very thing the girls liked about her. I smiled. _Oh, if only they knew she was a girl_…

With Haruhi gone I'd been left to fend for myself, which was just peachy since I only had a pretty vague idea as to what I was supposed to do in that place. I sat down in the first couch I saw and looked around nervously. I tried to figure that out by watching, but that didn't do any good. So I decided to get up and walk around to watch the hosts to see what made them so appealing.

"Tamaki, I've never had this type of cake before." A girl held up a slice of cake to said host. "Do you think I would like it?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there, darling?" Tamaki smiled. Before the girl could respond, Tamaki gently lifted up her chin, and when she opened her mouth to speak he slid a small forkful of the cake into her mouth. The other three girls squealed and Tamaki smiled and winked at me when he saw that I was watching.

Meanwhile, Mori and Hunny were entertaining their guests. Mori didn't seem to be doing anything other than keeping an eye on Hunny, who was enthusiastically stuffing his face with cake while basking in the attention the girls were giving him, carrying on about how cute he was.

"Mitsukuni." Mori spoke up, and when Hunny looked up at him Mori took a napkin and wiped off some frosting that had found its way onto Hunny's face.

"Thanks, Takashi." Hunny gave Mori a hug, and the squealing and giggles started all over again.

I sighed and decided to just sit around and wait for Haruhi to finish whatever she was doing.

"Are you being ignored?"

I looked up to see Tamaki standing in front of me. "Um, no, I…I'm just…I just don't know what I'm supposed to do to participate in this."

"Oh, it's quite simple! Just request one of us to entertain you and we shall happily oblige! Now, a lady like you shouldn't _ever_ be left alone when she's visiting The Host Club!" Tamaki sat down next to me. "So tell me, what type of guys are you into? Do you like the strong silent type? The cool type? How about the boy lolita? Whatever it is, I'm sure we can accommodate you."

"Um…I don't know…"

Tamaki smiled. "Why don't I go find someone for you since you're new here?"

"Oh no, that's not necessary…"

"Nonsense, it's _very_ necessary! It won't be too difficult, I'm sure. Just wait here, I think I have the perfect host in mind for you."

Before I could protest Tamaki was making his way around the room looking for that perfect host. He really didn't have to do this, didn't he still have guests? He soon returned with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Well my dear, I do believe I've found a match for you." Tamaki took my hand and pulled me up off the couch, leading me to a small seating area across the room. I really wished he wasn't forcing me to humiliate myself like this: whenever I tried to talk to a cute guy I always ended up making an idiot out of myself. Still, if I was to spend time in here, I figured I might as well participate.

"Hikaru? Kaoru?"

"Yeah, boss?"

I gasped. There were two new boys in front of me, and they were identical twins…adorable, gorgeous identical twins. They both had amber eyes and red hair that was in that stylishly messy look, and as far as I could tell the only way to tell them apart was by the way they parted their hair: one was to the left, the other to the right. I realized that they were the set of twins I'd seen in my classroom. They both looked at me curiously then back at Tamaki. "Who's this?"

"I'm glad you asked me that. This is Valerie Russell, our newest transfer student here."

"Oh, yeah, she's the new girl in our class! That's why she seems so familiar!" they chorused.

"I would like you to be her hosts today, because this is her first time at the Host Club."

"Excellent!" One of the boys rubbed his hands together and grinned. "We're sure going to have fun with you!"

The other boy gave me a smile possibly even kinder than Tamaki's. "Why don't you come sit with us? There's plenty of room on this couch, it easily holds three people."

"Um, okay." I stammered. They led me to a large couch and the three of us sat down with me in the middle. Judging by the way each of them had an arm around my shoulders, they weren't going to let me say no.

"My work here is done." Tamaki smiled. "Enjoy, my dear!"

"So, tell us about yourself." The twins spoke at the same time.

"Wait, your last name is Russell…is your father the one who invented that cell phone that lets people communicate by video?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah, that's my dad. I'm still getting used to living here in Japan because I moved here just weeks ago."

Hikaru cocked his head. "You know, we always thought Americans were loud and boisterous."

"Hikaru!" Kaoru placed his hand on mine. "I'm sorry, he didn't mean to offend you."

"No it's fine, he didn't. I guess I've always seemed to be more mature and quiet than most people my age." I looked around the room. "So, um, I know the basic idea behind the Host Club, but what do you guys do besides sit around and entertain girls?"

"Oh, we also hold special events that Tamaki plans." Karou replied.

Hikaru leaned closer to me. "But the best part is getting to spend time with cute girls like you."

My face turned red faster than it ever had before and the twins sure didn't fail to notice. They were grinning like the Cheshire Cat, which only made me blush harder. I took a deep breath and I felt my cheeks cool down. "W-what kind of special events?"

"Well, we like to hold parties, dances, that kind of thing. Tamaki likes to try new things out but they can be a little weird."

"Oh, they can't be _that_ weird, I'm sure."

"They're more eccentric than weird, but we always have fun with them." Kaoru explained.

"Tamaki can be a pretty extravagant guy, you know?" Hikaru nodded.

"I got that idea the minute I walked in here." Much to my relief the twins laughed. "He seems so dramatic, but really lively too."

"That just about sums it up." Kaoru agreed. "They can be a little strange, but they always work because our guests always find them very entertaining, so it's totally worth it."

"Say, Valerie?" Hikaru's face lit up in a mischievous smile. "How about you dress up with us for an event sometime?"

"Yes, you're such a pretty girl, and we'd love to see what you'd look like in costume for one of our events." Karou's smile was just as mischievous as his brother's.

I glanced sheepishly at them. "I'm not that pretty."

"What do you mean, 'not pretty'?" Kaoru lifted up my chin with his thumb and index finger. "I think you're quite pretty."

"You absolutely are." Hikaru agreed.

"I-I just don't think I'm pretty, that's all."

"Don't be silly. You're beautiful." Kaoru caressed my cheek with the tips of his fingers.

"K-Kaoru!" I caught my breath. "I-I guess you won't let me say otherwise…" I looked down, unable to look them in the eye anymore.

Hikaru gently turned my chin back towards him and smiled. "Oh, you're so adorable when you blush!"

At that point, I couldn't take it anymore. Fortunately, most of the club's guests had left, so I decided that I should leave before I made myself look like even more of an idiot.

"I'm sorry…I have to go." I managed to say.

The twins looked surprised, even a little saddened by the fact that I'd ended my session so soon. Call me crazy, but I swore that I even saw a little concern in their eyes, almost like they wanted to know if I was okay.

"All right." They both waved. "We'll see you in class, then."

"Okay." I nodded, and I bolted for the door as fast as I could, crying silently. Whether or not the hosts had noticed my tears I'm not sure, but I didn't dare turn around to see if they had.

"Valerie? What's wrong?" Haruhi asked as I opened the door to leave.

"It's nothing, I'll be fine." I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to calm down.

"All right, but if you ever need to talk to someone about something that's bothering you, I'll listen."

I merely nodded and exited the club, closing the door behind me.

I managed to stop crying by the time I got into the limo to go home. Once I was in the privacy of my room, I let the tears run freely again. Going to the Host Club had been a mistake for me, I realized. Being around boys had always been difficult for me, and it became even more difficult if I was attracted to a boy. Kyoya, Mori and obviously Hunny were fine; it was only Tamaki and the twins that I was uncomfortable around. I hated making an idiot out of myself, and I couldn't go to the club if it had this kind of an effect on me.

I decided that I wouldn't go back to the club for a while, and until I decided to visit them again, I was going to avoid it at all costs.

**A/N: There's a reason why Valerie has such a hard time around guys; it'll be revealed and explained in more detail later on. Also, she WILL find out about the twins' "brotherly love" act at some point. Hope you guys enjoyed chapter four, and don't forget to review! **


	5. Chapter 5: The Fujioka Residence

**A/N: Sorry that it took me so long to update this! Life kind of got in my way, but I'm back. Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has put this on their favorite stories lists and alerts lists! Knowing that so many people like "Two Roses for One Princess" really makes me happy. With that said, on to the chapter, and please don't forget to review!**

**Chapter Five: The Fujioka Residence**

Waking up to a sunny day the morning after my first visit to the Host Club made me feel better, but I still refused to set foot in there after the previous day's events. In class I took my seat and waited for Haruhi to show up. When she arrived, Haruhi didn't ask me anything about what had happened. She probably thought I needed some time to calm down; either that or she just didn't want to know what had happened. Whatever it was, she didn't bring it up during any conversations we had, and it seemed like she'd forgotten about the whole thing.

The twins were a different story, however. As soon as they walked into class that morning, they insisted I explain why I ran out on them and why I was refusing to visit the club again. The phrase "I don't want to talk about it" didn't seem to satisfy them, because they kept asking me for the rest of the week.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell us?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked simultaneously on Friday morning. I could tell they were standing behind me, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I was trying to ignore them by sitting at my desk and reading a book. "Inquiring minds want to know, you know!"

My grip on my book tightened in annoyance and frustration. I was trying so hard to ignore them, but it was getting harder every day. By that morning I'd had it with those two begging me to give them information that I really didn't want to give them.

"Would you two just give it a rest already?" Haruhi exclaimed, annoyance written all over her face. "Valerie doesn't have to tell you if she doesn't want to!"

"Okay, okay, we'll back off! Jeez…" The twins finally seemed to take the hint and they went back to their seats and just kept to themselves for once. Haruhi telling them off must have helped them catch on because they didn't ask me again. They didn't say anything to me, look at me or even acknowledge me for the rest of the day. While I was glad they'd finally left me alone I thought it was a little childish of them to be reacting like that. It was probably because they weren't used to people telling them off. I shrugged, they'd get over it.

"Thanks for helping me out this morning, Haruhi." I said as everyone was leaving school after the club meetings had concluded. My afternoons that week had been spent in the library doing homework. It wasn't the most exciting thing to do, but it sure helped me prepare for a couple of tests I'd had that week.

"No problem. Sometimes the twins just don't know when to quit." She looked at me like she was thinking about something. "Valerie, I don't normally ask stuff like this, but would you like to come over to my house today?"

"Why do you ask?"

Haruhi shrugged. "I just thought maybe you'd like to hang out with a friend because you haven't done that in a while."

I thought about it and realized she was right. I hadn't hung out with a friend in a while because Haruhi was my only friend in Japan so far. "Sure, that'd be cool." I nodded. "Just let me give my dad a call to let him know." I whipped out my cell phone and a couple minutes later Dad had given me permission spend the afternoon with Haruhi just as the limo arrived. As I got in I motioned to her to follow. "Come on, hop in."

"You sure this is okay?" She sounded pretty hesitant.

"Absolutely. I don't mind giving a friend a ride someplace." I smiled. "Masaru, my friend Haruhi Fujioka and I are going to be hanging out together at his house for the afternoon if that's all right." I would have referred to her as a girl, but Masaru would have been confused given the fact that Haurhi was wearing the boys' uniform.

"Of course it is." Masaru nodded. "Mr. Fujioka, would you mind giving me the directions to your house as we drive?"

"No, I don't mind at all." Haruhi guided Masaru through what I was sure was one of the many middle-class neighborhoods in Tokyo. It wasn't seedy or anything, but rather the kind of neighborhood that was perfect for raising families.

"Thanks Masaru, I'll give you a call when I'm ready for you to pick me up." I said as we got out. I smiled to myself when I saw the group of people that had assembled across the street, staring open-mouthed at the limo as well as Haruhi and I in our school uniforms. I guess the fascination with rich people exists no matter where you go in the world!

"You know, it feels nice to be in a middle-class neighborhood again since it's the kind of lifestyle I'm used to." I thought aloud as we made our way up the apartment building's steps. "Hey, do your neighbors know that you're going to Ouran?"

"To be honest most of them don't, but that doesn't bother me because I don't want to draw attention to myself." She took out a key and unlocked one of the doors on the top level. "My dad will be home soon, so be prepared."

"Will he be okay with me being here?" I asked, regretting that I hadn't asked sooner.

"I think he'll be thrilled, actually. He's always trying to get me to become friends with other girls, so seeing you with me will probably make him feel relieved." She pushed open the door and we went inside, revealing a simple but well-kept two-bedroom apartment. The room we walked into had a kitchen area that you saw upon entering the apartment. On the other side of a rice-paper door that was partially open, the other room had a small table, a bookcase and a TV set up, and judging by the personal belongings scattered around it I assumed that it was Haruhi's room and that her father's room was on the other side of a sliding door that separated the two. "I know it isn't much, but it's home."

"I think it's awesome, actually." I smiled.

**0000**

Haruhi and I were seated (or rather kneeling) at the small table drinking some tea that she'd prepared. She apologized for the tableware not matching, but I assured her it was fine.

"Valerie, is everything okay?" Haruhi asked, setting down her cup after taking a sip of her tea.

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't help but notice what happened the first time you visited the Host Club. Was it something Hikaru and Kaoru did?"

I thought about it. "No, they didn't offend me or anything…but I guess you could say they just made me nervous. Guys have been known to do that to me."

"I see." Haruhi nodded, but I could tell she suspected that there was more to it than that, and there was. I just couldn't tell her the full story just yet, I wasn't ready. Still, I decided that I'd tell Haruhi everything someday because she was my friend and I felt it was something she needed to hear.

A knock came from the door and we heard it open. "I'm home, Haruhi!" an effeminate voice called out.

"In here!" Haruhi called back, and the new person quickly found us: a somewhat masculine-looking woman with long reddish-brown hair wearing a knee-length plum-colored skirt, pale lavender top and white jacket. "Welcome home, Dad."

When I heard Haruhi say that I had to keep myself from looking too shocked, I didn't want her to think I was being rude. But that was so hard because this "woman" was actually her dad, meaning he was a transvestite. I managed to stay calm as I asked, "So…Haruhi…I take it that this is your father?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Dad, this is one of my friends from school."

"Oh my goodness, my little Haruhi has finally developed a friendship with another girl!" He gave her a huge hug and rubbed his cheek against hers. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Um, Dad, it's not that big of a deal." Haruhi mumbled.

"Of course it is! You never hang out with girls your age, so I'm just excited that you've finally started to!" When he saw that I was watching them he regained composure and gave me a charming smile. "I'm so sorry for forgetting my manners! What's your name, darling?"

"My name's Valerie Russell. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Fujioka."

"Pleasure to meet you too, Valerie. And I'll have none of that 'Mr. Fujioka' nonsense, it's so stiff! Call me Ranka, that's the professional name I use at the tranny bar I work at. By the way, I'm sorry if seeing me dressed up like this startled you."

"Okay, Ranka." I smiled. "And it's fine, I really have nothing against transvestites."

"Oh, that's a relief!" Ranka sighed happily and the two of us laughed, even Haruhi smiled. I was relieved to see that her dad liked me.

I looked over and saw a small shrine in a corner of the room with a framed photograph of a woman that looked remarkably like Haruhi. A small plaque next to the photo read 'In loving memory of Kotoko Fujioka, beloved wife and mother'. "Haruhi, you never told me your mom had passed away."

Haruhi nodded sadly. "Yeah, it happened ten years ago. As I grew up I took it upon myself to do most of the chores and make sure Dad was taken care of. It's been difficult for Dad and I without her, but we've managed to pull though."

"You know, Valerie, Haruhi even filled out all the enrollment paperwork on her own after she accepted the scholarship from Ouran Academy." Ranka added.

"Really? Wow." A question popped into my mind, it was one that I'd been meaning to ask for a while. "I know this may seem weird to ask, but why did you choose to go to Ouran?"

"That's not weird at all. I chose to go there because I have a plan for my future in mind, there's something I really want to be when I grow up."

We ended up chatting for a few more minutes with Ranka before he announced he had to leave because he'd made plans to go out with some friends of his that evening.

"Well, I must be off. Valerie, it was lovely to meet you, darling." Ranka smiled before he left. "Please, come visit us again!"

"I will." I laughed and waved. "See you later!" I smiled at Haruhi when the door closed behind Ranka.

"Hopefully that didn't freak you out too much." Haruhi said in all seriousness.

I laughed. "Don't worry about it, your dad's great!"

"Thanks." Haruhi smiled. Her expression then changed to one that made it look liked she'd just remembered something. "Oh, by the way, the Host Club is having a party next Friday night. You don't have to go if you don't want to, though, Tamaki just wanted me to get the word out."

"I might go." I replied thoughtfully. "Besides, it would probably be for the best if I gave them another chance, you know?"

"Yeah, giving them a second chance would be a good idea." Haruhi nodded. She took an envelope out of her school bag and handed it to me. "If you end up going to the party, all the details are written on this card. Tamaki had us take a few so that we could hand them out to those who wanted to go."

"Okay. Thanks, Haruhi." I nodded. Hopefully my dad would approve when I talked about this with him.

**0000**

"Sure, you can definitely go to the party if you want to." Dad nodded.

"Seriously?" I was a little surprised that he'd agree so easily.

"Of course. You told me that your friend Haruhi is going to be there, so you won't feel too uncomfortable."

That was true, social situations had always been somewhat awkward for me, but if a friend was there as well it helped me feel less out of place. I had some social anxiety ever since middle school that was sometimes difficult to deal with, but now that I was older I understood the importance of overcoming these issues. A while back I'd made a promise to myself that I'd try to do just that as much as I could before I finished high school, so I went to parties and other occasions in the hopes I'd become more comfortable around people. Strangely enough, it actually worked even though I still struggled with the anxiety.

Dad studied the invitation again. "I see that this is going to be formal. Do you need to get yourself a dress?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll just wear one I already have."

"Okay, but if you ever want to get yourself a new dress for something, all you have to do is say so."

I nodded. On the outside I may have looked calm, but on the inside I was praying that that I'd be able to avoid contact with the members of the Host Club to keep me from making a scene in front of them like I'd done before. I wished that I wouldn't have the risk of encountering them at all that night, but I knew that would be impossible, after all it _was _their party.


	6. Chapter 6: Party Drama

**A/N: Here's a double update for you all, chapters six AND seven in one update! Please don't forget to review!**

**Chapter Six: Party Drama**

"Well, I guess this is as good as it's going to get." I sighed, taking in my reflection. It was the night of the party and I'd spent the last couple of hours getting ready. I was wearing a tea-length black dress with a square neckline and short sleeves with black ballet flats for shoes and my hair in a simple bun. Admittedly my outfit was probably going to be more modest than what the other girls would be wearing, but I didn't care.

Upon arriving at Ouran, the cars were being directed to the entrance of the ballroom that was being used for the party. Masaru lingered to make sure he saw me go inside before he drove away. I followed the hoard of girls into the ballroom, and it was then I noticed that I was the only one wearing black

When I entered the ballroom, I was awed. The room was white with a shining wood floor and sparkling crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a long table piled high with food that was more luxurious than any food I'd have chosen for a party, as well as a small orchestra to provide the music. This made the school dances I was used to pale in comparison. The girls seemed to be gathering around the foot of a carpeted staircase at the other end of the ballroom, which I noticed had been left dark

"It's so wonderful to see so many of you here tonight, my little kittens. On behalf of the Ouran Host Club, I welcome you." Tamaki's voice called out. The lights turned on and there stood the Host Club. I had to stifle a laugh when I noticed the twins were wearing matching suits.

"Ladies, the Host Club shall be here for your pleasure this evening, as we always are." Kyoya announced, with an actual smile on his face as opposed to that smirk he usually wore. "We will make sure that each of you gets to dance with her preferred host, so please, dance to your hearts' content."

"Enjoy yourselves, my loves!" Tamaki winked, resulting in the room erupting in fangirl screams complete with a few girls fainting.

"This is ridiculous." I muttered as I walked to the food table to see if I could find something to drink.

It only took a few minutes for the party to get into full swing. I wondered how the Host Club would be able to dance with so many guests, but I quickly figured out their strategy: they would dance with one girl each during a song, and then they'd dance to another song with a different girl, or if a girl and a host weren't dancing at the moment he'd chat her up for a while. They'd probably planned it that way, but it was working perfectly for them.

"Hey, Valerie." Haruhi waved, walking over to me. I saw that even for events like these she still dressed as a boy. "You want to dance?"

"Sure, but I'm not the best dancer."

"Don't worry, I'm not either." Haruhi and I laughed and walked out onto the dance floor. Her eyebrows raised when she saw me waltzing like an expert, making it look graceful and easy to do. "I thought you said you weren't that good of a dancer."

"Not by professional dancer standards, at least. I used to take ballroom dancing lessons, so that's how I learned how to waltz." I explained.

"Ah, okay. Did you ever compete?"

I laughed. "Yeah, but I was never very good. The lessons were just for my personal enjoyment, anyway. By the way, how'd _you_ learn how to waltz?"

"Tamaki ordered me to become a waltzing expert for a past party the club had. Bear in mind that he expected me to do that in one week. He always thinks things will go exactly how he imagines them."

"Okay, he's officially insane." I shook my head and the two of us shared another laugh. "You know, I've never waltzed with another girl."

"That makes two of us." Haruhi agreed. When the song ended we decided to just sit down at one of the seating areas and talk since the orchestra was taking a break. Our moment of peace was quickly ended, however.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki exclaimed, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The smile on his face seemed to grow when he saw me sitting there as well. "And you brought our newest princess to our party!" He took a rose out of a nearby vase, got on one knee and held the rose out to me. "Princess Valerie, I hope I find you enjoying yourself this evening."

"Well…this _is_ a really nice party, I'll give you that." I managed to say. "The dances my old high school in the States had weren't nearly this nice."

"Really?" Tamaki's face lit up eagerly. "I had no idea commoners had dances at their schools, especially in the States! Tell me all about commoner school dances!"

"Haruhi, is this normal behavior for him?" I whispered as I watched Tamaki make a show of him getting the attention of the other Host Club members.

"Unfortunately, yes. He asks me about this stuff all the time."

"Tamaki, what's going on?" Kyoya asked as he came over to our side of the room.

"Yes, all you said to us was to come over here." Hikaru and Kaoru added.

"Princess Valerie is going to tell us all about commoner school dances!" Tamaki exclaimed, and the boys all seemed to look just as interested as him. Even a number of girls took notice and rushed over to listen too. "Go on, we're listening!"

I sighed, exasperated at the fact that Tamaki expected me to tell so many people at once. I cleared my throat before speaking. "Okay, um…at school dances in the States, they're usually set up by the school and held in a school gym, and the gym is sometimes decorated if the dance has a theme. There's usually a DJ playing music…oh, and you usually purchase tickets to get in."

"I didn't know schools had their students pay money to go to a dance." One girl sounded scandalized.

"So it's true then, commoners constantly need to donate money so their schools can stay open." Another girl nodded.

"No, that's not what they use dances for." I shook my head. "The money raised by ticket sales goes to more important things. My old school has this annual semiformal dance, and all the money goes to charities in the area."

"Are the dances fun?" Hunny asked.

"I've always thought so." I shrugged.

"That's amazing!" Tamaki exclaimed. "Our next party can be themed as an American commoners school dance! You can help us plan, Valerie!"

I laughed. "No, I doubt any of you could handle how simple dances like that are compared to this."

That seemed to satisfy everyone's curiosity, because they all left to dance some more and socialize with each other a couple minutes later. Only Hikaru and Kaoru remained, their very presence making me nervous. The twins seemed to be looking at me with the same overly critical expressions.

"What's with that outfit?" Hikaru finally asked.

"Oh, this? It's just a bridesmaid dress I had left over from a wedding I was in last year." I shrugged.

"But why'd you choose a black dress? You should wear a more cheerful color." Kaoru stated. "And maybe a pair of heels instead of ballet flats."

"And your hair looks too severe in that bun, it would look much better worn loose. And you're not even wearing any makeup." Hikaru added, shaking his head. "Every girl should wear it for a special occasion like this."

I felt my cheeks flare up. "Why should it matter so much? Yeah, I want to look good at times, but I don't obsess over it."

"But you're much too cute to be dressing the way you are!" they chimed, each of them wrapping their arms around my shoulders.

"Enough!" I jumped up and walked away with the intention to get as far away from the twins as I could, passing countless girls being charmed by the hosts, each one of them saying something corny or behaving in a way that would achieve the desired response from the girls. I noticed Kyoya in a corner, and there was a satisfied smirk on his face as he flipped through his ever-present notebook that told me all I needed to know: this party was just for the sake of raising money for the club. _How could the girls here stand to be used like this?_ I thought angrily.

That's when I finally snapped.

"Valerie!" Haruhi exclaimed when she saw me run away from there. She was running after me, but I pretended not to notice her.

I ended up running onto the terrace that was just outside the ballroom overlooking a courtyard bordered by cherry trees. When I stopped I attempted to catch my breath. That's when I saw the hosts had also followed me out there.

"Valerie, calm down." Haruhi insisted. "What's going on?"

"It's them!" I pointed to the boys. "Womanizers! You are all a bunch of obnoxious, self-absorbed, good-for-nothing womanizers!" I yelled.

"But we're not –" Tamaki tried to place a hand on my shoulder but I pushed it away.

"Get away from me!" I yelled, and this time the tears started flowing out of my eyes. "How dare you treat girls like this? You all think you're God's gift to women and make every girl you meet fall head over heels for you, but you don't mean any of it! All you care about is getting your hands on the money in their pockets! You actually think it's okay to treat girls like you love them when you're just using them? Well, I have news for you, it's not! You can't go manipulating a girl's emotions like that!"

I collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.


	7. Chapter 7: Explanations

**Chapter Seven: Explanations **

I was lying on a couch in the Third Music Room, trying to calm down. Haruhi had taken me there so that I could have some alone time to calm down while the boys tended to the guests, given the fact that the party was still going on.

The doors swung open and the seven of them came in. What surprised me was the genuine concern for me that was evident in their faces.

"I'm sorry." I wiped away the tears as best I could. "Shouldn't you be with the guests?"

Tamaki shook his head. "The party ended a while ago, actually."

I sighed. "Hopefully I didn't cause too much trouble."

"You could have, but we managed to distract the guests to keep them from asking questions, so no harm done." Kyoya replied.

Hunny sat down on the couch with me. "Would Usa-chan help?"

"I guess." I shrugged. Before handing me the toy, Hunny gave me a hug to calm me, which I gladly accepted.

"Valerie, you need to tell us what's been going on." Haruhi said, gently but firmly. "If we don't know, we can't help you."

"You're right." I looked at them. "But it'll take a while."

"It's all right, we've got time." Kaoru nodded.

"Okay." I took a deep breath before I told them anything, and finally I started to explain. "Ever since I started school, I've been bullied by the boys in my class. I had no control over my emotions, so I got bullied just so that they could see me react in the same way I reacted tonight."

"Did the bullying stop eventually?"

"No." I sighed. "As I got older the bullying just got worse; the insults became more personal, the names became more derogatory. They still did this when I went to high school with them. I quickly reached the point when couldn't take it anymore and I wanted to get away from them, so that was why I had nothing against my dad moving us here."

I took another deep breath and continued. "There's another part to this story. Those same boys who bullied me have told me that I could never get a guy to be my boyfriend. They really proved they believed that at school last year: they had this guy they knew I had a crush on ask me out, and when he did I naïvely said yes. When I got to the place we'd agreed to meet, he wasn't there, so I waited for him but he never showed up. When we saw each other at school the following week, I asked him why he never came. He told me, and I quote, 'guys like me don't date ugly girls like you.' Everyone around us was watching, and when they started laughing I realized that it had all been a joke. Ever since then, it's always been incredibly difficult for me to trust boys."

"Is that why you've been reacting so negatively to what the club does?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah, it is. I'm just the kind of girl who's against women being taken advantage of by men, and I initially thought that was what you guys were doing by being in this club."

"I understand." Tamaki knelt down and looked up at me with eyes filled with sincerity. "Valerie, we would never take advantage of a lady here. I formed the Host Club because I love making women happy, as do the rest of us."

"Are you sure that's your only intention behind the club, to make women happy?"

"I couldn't be more sincere, I promise."

"Thank you, I'm glad you told me that, it'll help me think more positively of you guys. But I just don't understand why a school would approve of students creating a host club in the first place."

"Well you see, Valerie, host clubs are quite common here in Japan." Kyoya explained. "Tamaki has made it clear that we don't do anything that could be considered inappropriate, so the school really doesn't have a problem with the club."

"Really? Huh, I didn't know that." I sighed. "In that case, my outburst really wasn't justified. I apologize for that."

"Apology accepted." Tamaki squeezed my hand. "But we're not mad at you, you just didn't know. You are and always will be welcome here at the Host Club." He stood up. "From now on, men, we will do everything in our power to see to it that Valerie's time at Ouran Academy is a happy one. It is our job to make every girl happy, and hopefully, with enough time and effort, we will be able to bring her to the point where she can trust boys again!"

"Got it!" The twins and Hunny saluted, while Kyoya and Mori nodded.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you might be overdoing this, Tamaki?" I quipped.

Haruhi gave me a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Valerie. As crazy and flawed as his plans can be, they almost always work out in the end."

"Okay, I'll give you guys a chance at helping me. But keep in mind that it might be a bigger challenge than you think."

"I will, but I will also make sure we succeed!" Tamaki exclaimed, enthusiastically thrusting his fist into the air in an overly dramatic determined gesture. Before he could say anything else the chiming of a clock sounded, and we noticed that it was ten o'clock at night. "Well, I guess we can start this another day. Gentlemen and Haruhi, thank you for helping to make tonight's party such a success, and thank you for coming to the party, Valerie." He kissed my hand. "Pleasant dreams, my princess."

"You too, Tamaki." I smiled, that was the first time I was truly charmed by Tamaki. Haruhi and the boys exited the room to go wait for their rides home, and I heard Tamaki mention something about driving Haruhi home that night. I noticed that Kaoru was the only one who had stayed.

"Kaoru? Aren't you coming?" Hikaru asked, pausing at the door to turn and look at us questioningly.

"I'll be there in a couple minutes, Hikaru." Kaoru replied. Hikaru nodded and closed the door behind him as he left.

"What's up, Kaoru?" I asked once we were alone.

"Nothing, I just wanted to ask you this privately." He sat down next to me. "Valerie, I know you told us that you don't think you're pretty. Does that come from the way those boys treated you?" Kaoru asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, thanks to them I've never been all that confident. Having people call you ugly or whatever really takes its toll on your self-esteem, you know?"

"I know what you mean. Well, trust me when I say that you are quite the opposite of ugly. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think you're quite pretty. I wouldn't say something like that if I didn't mean it." Kaoru actually seemed serious when he said that.

I blushed a little. "Thanks, Kaoru. It's nice to know that there's at least one guy out there who's nice to me and actually means it. Heck, every guy in this club has always been nice to me, so that's even better."

"That's good to know." A thoughtful expression briefly crossed Kaoru's face. "Valerie, can you promise me something?"

"That depends. What is it that you want me to promise?"

"You never smile when you're around us, you always have this sad look on your face. What I'm trying to say is, please…please don't cry anymore. It really hurts me to see you do that." Kaoru gently held my hands in his. "I just want to see you smile, because a girl as beautiful as you shouldn't have to cry."


	8. Chapter 8: Finally Having Fun

**A/N: Here's the deal with chapter eight: after all that drama that happened throughout the story so far, I thought I'd write a chapter that's a little fluffier and sillier than the last few. I wanted to get this chapter just right and I haven't had a lot of time to write lately, so that's the story behind the delay and I'm sorry I kept you all waiting for an update for so long. And about the Host Club's "event" in this chapter…let's just say the idea refused to die and it seemed like a good one at the time. ;)**

**Enjoy, and please review! **

**Chapter Eight: Finally Having Fun**

Talking about my past experiences with the Host Club really helped me, because from then on I was able to visit the club with a more lighthearted attitude and was actually able to enjoy the time I spent there. I didn't know what I found to be more entertaining: the antics the boys always got up to, or watching the girls go insane over everything their respective host said or did.

There was something else that had resulted from my confession, and that was a newly formed friendship with the boys. Talking to them about what happened brought us closer together. Mori and Hunny were like brothers to me: Hunny and I played together if he thought I was lonely, and Mori always made sure I was okay. Just before I'd left the club to go home from my first club visit since the party, Mori had said to me, "From now on, Mitsukuni and I will protect you."

"What do you mean, Mori-senpai?" I asked.

"Takashi and I felt bad about what those mean boys did to you, so we want you to tell us if that happens to you again." Hunny looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Val-chan, please let Takashi and I protect you. I don't want boys to make you sad."

My heart melted at how sweet and sincere Hunny was being. "Yeah, you can. But Hunny-senpai, what if the person's bigger than you?"

Hunny laughed. "Don't worry, I can do it!"

"He's right." Kyoya agreed, overhearing our conversation. "Hunny-senpai may seem like a child, but he's a formidable martial arts master. I've seen him take down a squad of my family's private police single-handedly, it's quite remarkable."

"Seriously? How'd he manage that?"

"The Haninozuka family is internationally famous for their martial arts, and Mori-senpai's fighting ability is also a force to be reckoned with." Kyoya nodded.

Speaking of Kyoya, he was the kind of friend that was perfect for having an intelligent and serious conversation with. Despite his love for money and his sly personality, he was quite friendly once you got to know him better. He was also quite charming, but then again he had to be in order to be a host.

Then, there was Tamaki. He was a real gentleman both in the Host Club and in real life, not just to me but every girl he met. I could tell that he wanted to prove to me that there were gentlemen in the world by being one himself, and I was finally starting to believe that again. The only flaw Tamaki really had, I'd discovered, was that he had a tendency to overreact to things. Still, even the best people have flaws, so I just let it go after a while and came to see it as something that helped him stand out. I noticed that when it came to Haruhi, Tamaki was so overprotective of her, but it always amused me to watch him act like that. It was so obvious that Tamaki had a crush on her, and I could've sworn Haruhi had similar feelings for him as well. Even though they both seemed to be in denial about it, I hoped to see the day when they both came to their senses and told each other how they felt.

Finally, there were the twins. They teased me so much I thought my face would turn red permanently from blushing so much, but they seemed to know when to stop and I knew they meant it all in fun. One thing I hadn't known about them previously was the act they did for their guests. They portrayed themselves as, shall we say, "_very _close" brothers, if you know what I mean. I'll admit it was a little strange to watch such a thing at first, but when I thought about it and saw how positively their guests reacted to it I understood the appeal of their act. When I asked them about it they assured me it was just that, an act, and that they didn't really have those feelings for each other. Even if they did, I wouldn't have had anything against them for it.

As for Haruhi, our friendship was just as strong as it had always been since I'd met her. She was the kind of friend who would share laughs with me, comfort me if I was upset, and drop a piano on my head if I ever did something incredibly stupid. I was extremely thankful that I'd met her as well as the boys, because my experience at Ouran Academy wouldn't have been the same without them.

**0000**

_Another day, another Host Club visit_, I thought, smiling to myself. It was getting close to summer and while I'd only have one month off for it in Japan as opposed to two months, I didn't mind because sunny and warm weather always kept me in a good mood during the school day. Haruhi had to leave class early that day to help the club set something up for later that day. She didn't tell me what it was because it was supposed to be a surprise, Tamaki's orders and all.

I knocked loudly on the door to make sure it got their attention. The door was opened just a crack and I saw Kyoya's face peeking out from the other side.

"Hey, Kyoya-senpai, I know that you guys are setting up some kind of surprise, but can I come in?"

"I don't see any harm in that." Kyoya nodded. Once I was inside I noticed what he was wearing: a white dress shirt, black pants and shoes, a jacket with red and white vertical stripes and a black bowtie.

"Interesting outfit choice, by the way." I commented, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just for the sake of today's theme, I obviously wouldn't wear something like this in real life."

"Wait, what _is_ the theme for today?"

"The circus!" Tamaki exclaimed, making his usual dramatic entrance. He had on a white shirt, black pants and shoes like Kyoya, but he also had on white gloves, a black top-hat, and a sparkly red tailcoat to finish off the look. "Not only that, but we've arranged for a circus performance to be held after school today!"

Haruhi was wearing loose-fitting bright blue pants with a matching top, a wide dark blue belt around her waist and a long-sleeved bolero covered in dark blue sequins. Mori appeared next in a black muscle shirt, shorts and boots, carrying what looked like a barbell in his hands. Hunny followed him dressed in white pants, black boots, and a red jacket with gold tasseled pads on the shoulders.

"See, Val-chan? I'm a lion tamer, Takashi's a strongman, Haruhi's a tightrope walker, Tamaki's a ringmaster and Kyoya's a vendor." Hunny explained happily.

"Awesome." I smiled. "Where are the twins?"

"We're right here!" the twins called out. I almost jumped out of my skin because they'd managed to sneak up behind me and surprise me, and I jumped again when I saw them. They were wearing identical clown costumes consisting of a yellow shirt with two red button puffs on it, blue suspenders and rainbow striped pants. They even had the oversized shoes, painted faces and red noses. "Did we scare you?" they both asked, smirking.

"No, not really." I replied and their faces fell. "Clowns don't scare me, but they do make me feel weird." I turned my attention to Tamaki. "Is this the surprise you guys were talking about?"

"Yes, it is!" Tamaki smiled. "Plus, we've decided to have you dress up with us. It's the perfect opportunity for you start gaining your confidence back! That is, if it's okay with you."

"Sure, sounds like fun." I shrugged.

"Excellent! We've got the perfect costume picked out for you!" The twins stood aside to reveal…oh, my God.

"There is no way in hell I'm dressing up as a clown!" I exclaimed when I saw the costume. It was a knee-length white polka-dot patterned dress trimmed with ruffles, a pink sash and three button puffs going down the middle of the bodice.

"Aw, come on, please?" they begged.

"No way." I shook my head. "If you're wondering why I'm resisting, my aunt made me wear a clown costume for Halloween when I was four. I've even seen the pictures…" I shuddered. "I really do _not _want to think about it."

"But you'd look so cute in this! We'll even paint your face to match!" Hikaru and Kaoru grinned evilly. Before I knew it they had put me into the nearest chair and held containers of face paint and makeup sponges in their hands, ready to smear the stuff all over my face.

"What part of 'no, I'm not wearing that' don't you understand?!" I exclaimed, actually fearing what they had in mind.

"Guys, lay off." Thankfully Haruhi stepped in. "If you're so desperate to dress her up, you could at least come up with a costume you think she'd like."

The twins seemed to think for a minute about that before Hikaru spoke up. "Kaoru, don't we also have that other dress?"

"Oh, yeah, we do!" Kaoru smiled at me. "Valerie, we have another costume that I think you'll like better. It's in the changing room, go try it on."

Curiosity getting the better of me, I ventured to the changing room and found the aforementioned costume. It wasn't nearly as bad as the clown costume, it was actually really pretty. It was a pale pink leotard with a silver beaded leaf pattern and had tiny crystals scattered all over the bodice. The short skirt was made entirely of white feathers and tapered into a train in the back which was edged in pink feathers. There were also beige tights, long white gloves, a diamond choker and earrings, and a pair of glittering silver dress sandals. I pulled half of my hair back and left the rest down, and once I was dressed I pulled back the changing room curtain and saw that they'd all gathered there. "Does this look okay to you?"

"You look great, Val-chan!" Honey exclaimed.

"Wow…you look gorgeous." Kaoru actually blushed underneath the face paint he had on.

I did a double take. "What's with the blush, Kaoru?"

His eyes widened. "Oh, uh, nothing!" He laughed. "Sorry about that."

"You look absolutely perfect!" Tamaki exclaimed, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. Suddenly the clock chimed and Tamaki's face lit up. "Now, it's time to go entertain the ladies with our own performance under the big top!"

**0000**

The Host Club had gone all out when it came to that day's theme. Everything that one could expect to see at a circus was there: a tent, performers, animals, everything. I have no idea as to how they were able to afford all that, but it was a hit with all the girls that came to the club that day.

The guests sure didn't fail to notice that I was in costume as well. For a while I was worried that they would be jealous of me, but they seemed to be genuinely happy for me. Some of them even complimented me on how I looked.

"I think it's adorable that the Host Club dressed you up with them." A girl from my class smiled, who I then remembered was named Naomi. She and her friend Sunako had come up to talk to me after watching a few of the entertainers perform.

"Yeah, but it was their idea to do this." I shrugged with a slight laugh.

"So do you like the Host Club?" Naomi asked.

"We never got the chance to ask you earlier." Sunako added.

"Actually…yeah, I do, a lot. I'll be honest, it was a bit of a culture shock at first, but I'm really glad I met them."

"Surprise!" a voice yelled behind me.

"Stop doing that, Kaoru!" I exclaimed as the girls laughed. He'd just popped out from behind a nearby bush and nearly scared the living daylights out of me.

"Wait, how did you know it was me?" Kaoru sounded as surprised as he looked.

"Yes, it's nearly impossible to tell the two of them apart." Naomi agreed.

"Oh, I don't think it's so hard. Hikaru's a little more mischievous than Kaoru, and their voices are slightly different, too." I wanted to add that Kaoru seemed to be the more romantic one, but I didn't want them to get the wrong idea. "See, there was a set of twins in my class at my old school. After a while I'd figured out the little things that made them different, so that's probably how I can spot Hikaru and Kaoru's differences. Don't get me wrong, they can still pass for absolutely identical and it keeps people guessing." I frowned a little as a thought crossed my mind. "But it's a little unusual to see you without your brother, Kaoru."

"True, we're not apart very often, but I wanted to check up on you to make sure you were all right." Kaoru admitted.

"Thanks, I am." I said softly, touched by his concern.

"Well, we're going to see if we can get seats for the next performance." Naomi waved. "See you later, Valerie!"

"Are you going to watch the performance?"

Kaoru shook his head. "No, I've already seen a few of them already. You look like you could use some company."

"I do? You can stay here with me, if you want to, that is."

"I do want to. Besides, I like spending time alone with you." He smiled and I felt myself blush yet again. "Also…I'd like to give you this."

My eyes widened when he handed me an orange rose. I'd never seen a rose like that and orange was such an unusual rose color, but it really was beautiful. I gingerly held the rose in my hands, the shocked expression still on my face.

"What's the matter? You look like you're expecting the rose to shoot water out at you or something." Kaoru laughed.

"It's not that. It's just…a guy's never given me a rose before." I smiled. "Thanks, Kaoru. You're so sweet."

The day's event was over much too soon. As I followed the Host Club back to the music room to get changed before we went home, I overheard Naomi and Aiko talking to each other.

"Why can't she see it? It's so obvious he's head over heels in love with her!" Naomi exclaimed. "Why else would he give her a rose?"

"I know, right?" Sunako giggled. "She can't really tell that he likes her, but I'm sure she'll figure it out soon."

_Were they talking about me?_ I wondered. I mean, Kaoru _was_ in the Host Club, so the rose could have meant anything. Plus, he and Hikaru were really close, and I wasn't sure if he'd ever been in an actual relationship.

I played what had just happened back in my mind, and I had to stifle a laugh, but I was slightly surprised by the sudden butterflies in my stomach as I analyzed it. It's like Katie had said to me way back when, "a single rose means 'I love you', a dozen says 'I'm sorry'", but I didn't know whether that applied in this case. True, a guy dressed as a clown giving a rose to a girl dressed up as a showgirl probably wasn't the most romantic scenario ever dreamed up, and the rose was probably just a friendly gesture, but still…

Was it really possible that Kaoru Hitachiin was in love with me?


	9. Chapter 9: Fun in the Sun

**A/N: Wow, long time no update. I'm really sorry about making you wait for so long, but I've just had so much to do these last couple of weeks: going to my school's Senior Ball, finishing the year, taking my final exams. But now that I'm on summer vacation, I'll be able to update more frequently. Hopefully you find this chapter worth the wait, there are a lot of fun moments in here and a major plot point in the story finally takes place. Also, the next couple of chapters will focus on Valerie spending time with Hikaru and Kaoru, but that's all I'm giving away right now. ;) **

**Enjoy the chapter, and please don't forget to review!**

**Chapter Nine: Fun in the Sun**

Summer vacation was here, and I was determined to live it up as much as I could. School had ended for the break earlier that day, so I decided to do something that I'd been meaning to do for a while.

"Valerie! Oh my God, how are you?" Katie squealed when she picked up.

"I'm great! It's so great to talk to you again!"

"Same here, I miss you so much!"

"Oh, me too! So, what time is it back home? It's just after midnight here."

"It's about eleven in the morning."

"Wow. Believe it or not, I just started my summer vacation. It doesn't bother me, though, I really like my new school a lot."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Are there any cute guys there?"

I laughed. "Yes, there _are_ cute guys here, six to be exact. Oh, and earlier today I sent you a picture of them to your inbox."

"Awesome, let me go take a look." A brief silence passed as she opened up her internet browser and logged into her Email account. I knew that she'd found the picture when I heard her scream. "Oh, wow! You know, I don't normally go for Asian men, but these guys are drop dead _gorgeous_! Especially the guy in the glasses!"

I laughed, it sounded like Kyoya had a new fangirl. "Yeah, every single girl at school likes them."

"How did you meet these guys?"

"They're the members of the host club at school, where they entertain the girls who visit the club."

"Wait, it's a host club?"

"Yeah. I know it sounds a little sketchy, but the club is meant for the girls' enjoyment and the boys really seem to like being hosts."

"So they just hang out with the girls?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"That's cool. Hey, I see a set of two _very _attractive twins in this picture!"

"Yeah, their names are Hikaru and Kaoru. Hikaru's the wilder, more outspoken one, and Kaoru's the more soft-spoken, gentle one."

"Gentle, huh?" The smirk in Katie's voice was obvious.

"Ew, no! That's _not_ what I meant at all!" I exclaimed.

"I know, I just wanted to mess with you." Katie admitted and we laughed. Leave it to us to make references like _that_ over the phone!

We chatted for at least an hour. I told her all about the Host Club members, Haruhi, and life at Ouran Academy. In turn, Katie shared what had happened at my old school since I'd moved. As we talked, I was constantly sneaking glances at the door to see if anyone would come in and complain about the noise I was making. Still, maybe they understood that I hadn't been able to actually verbally communicate with my best friend since I'd moved to Japan, so I was taking full advantage of the time I had to talk to her.

"Well, I think I ought to get some sleep, it's past one in the morning." I yawned.

"Okay, hope you call again soon! Bye!" Katie replied before we hung up. I went to bed feeling happy, but at the same time I couldn't help but suspect that something was being planned without my knowledge of it.

**0000**

The next morning I stumbled down into the dining room, tying my bathrobe on over my pajamas at the same time.

"Mistress Valerie, I think this will help you wake up." Akemi smiled and placed a mug in front of me.

"Oh, thank you, Akemi." I eagerly drank it when I saw that she had prepared a cup of my favorite Japanese tea for me. I then heard a knock on the door and Akemi went to answer it. A couple minutes later she returned and I looked up at her curiously.

"Mistress Valerie, the Hitachiin brothers are here to see you, they're waiting in the foyer."

"Seriously? Oh, man…" Reluctantly I got up and walked to the foyer, and sure enough they were there. "Guys, did you have to come so early in the morning? I'm still in my pajamas!"

"It's not that early, it's ten in the morning." Hikaru pointed to the dial on his watch.

"And we had to come early because you'll be traveling all day with us." Kaoru added.

I frowned. "What're you talking about?"

"It's summer vacation, so we're taking you to the beach for a couple of days!" they grinned.

"Um, okay." I turned to the dining room. "Hey, Dad, I know this is pretty last-minute, but I'm going to be going to the beach for a couple of days with friends from school. Is that okay?"

Dad thought about it and gave in. "Sure, I have no problem with that."

"Okay, thanks." I turned my attention back to the twins. "I can go, so just let me go upstairs so that I can pack."

"Don't bother, everything you need is at the house." Hikaru shook his head.

"We spent yesterday afternoon putting outfits together for you." Kaoru explained.

"Still, let me go pack some toiletries and get dressed." I ran upstairs and quickly threw together a toiletries bag as well as some clean underwear, which went into a small backpack. As for an outfit, I just put on denim Capri pants, a white T-shirt and tan flip-flops before going back downstairs. The twins' faces lit up when they saw I was ready to go.

"Let's go, the beach awaits!" They each took hold of one of my arms and escorted me into the limo.

**0000**

The beach we arrived at was located in Okinawa, and I was amazed to see that a large mansion had been constructed there overlooking the beach. The mansion was probably the "house" that the twins had mentioned to me, so it was probably someone's vacation home. The sand was almost pure white, the water was a gorgeous shade of blue, there was a gentle breeze in the air and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. However, there wasn't a single person on the beach to be seen.

"It's such a gorgeous day today, so why aren't more people here?" I wondered aloud.

"Because this is my family's private beach, and the mansion you see is our beach villa." Kyoya explained.

"Oh, I see." It always surprised me to see evidence of the staggering fortunes the hosts' families had.

We all went to find bedrooms for us to stay in, and I found one that seemed to be just a little bigger than my bedroom at my old house had been. It had a queen-sized bed, a large window that gave me a great view of the beach, and a door on the other side of the room led to an adjacent bathroom. After I was done looking around the room, I saw that there was a note taped to the wardrobe's door. The note said that the twins had picked out a swimsuit for me and that it was waiting in the closet for me to try on.

When I opened the closet, I took one look at it and my cheeks reddened. Of all the swimsuits they could've selected for me, they just _had _to pick a bikini. It was black with pink dots on it, with baby pink bows on the side of the bottom piece as well as at the bottom of the halter straps on the top piece.

"Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, get your filthy rich butts in here!" I yelled angrily. They appeared almost immediately. "Why did you give me a bikini to wear?!"

"Because we both think you could pull that look off." Hikaru replied.

I sighed. "Guys, I can't wear a bikini! I don't have the body for something like that."

"Are you worried about what people would think if they saw you wearing a bikini?" Kaoru asked, and I nodded.

"Well, don't be." Hikaru replied. "It's just going to be the eight of us at this beach, so nobody else is going to see you."

"Why don't you go try it on and then see how you feel after that?" Kaoru suggested. "Then, if you really don't feel comfortable in it, we'll find another swimsuit for you."

"Fair enough." I went into the bathroom and changed into it, and I nervously went back into the bedroom.

"Valerie, you need to give yourself more credit. That bikini looks great on you!" Hikaru smiled encouragingly when he saw my nervous face.

Part of me was too scared to look into the full-length mirror in the room, but I managed to will myself to look anyway. The more I studied how I looked I saw that it really wasn't that bad. It covered more than I thought it would, and it fit really well. The thing I was relieved about the most was that the bottom part was decent. "Okay, I'll wear it. But if I hear one negative comment about it I'm going to insist I wear a different swimsuit."

"You've got a deal." Hikaru agreed.

"Trust us, you're not going to hear a negative comment from anyone. We're all your friends here." Kaoru wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we went outside.

**0000**

"Hey, Haruhi." I smiled when I saw her. She'd already set up a beach umbrella with a couple of towels underneath it. "By the way, I really wish I had a swimsuit like yours on instead of the one I'm currently wearing." She had on a really pretty royal blue one piece swimsuit that day. Despite my agreeing to wear the bikini, I still felt a little self-conscious wearing it.

"The twins got to you, huh?" She smiled understandingly when I nodded. "Yeah, they put me in a bikini once, too. I never wore it, but they decided to give me a break for this trip and let me use one of my own swimsuits."

"At least they didn't decide ahead of time what you'd be wearing like they did with me." I grumbled as I slathered on sunscreen.

"They didn't, but my dad did. He repacked my bag with more girly clothes when I was out yesterday." Haruhi looked me over. "You know, I ought to give the twins some credit. You do look really pretty in that."

"Thanks. I know this may seem kind of random, but you seem genuinely happy to be here."

"Yeah, I am, I like the beach." Haruhi lay down on the towel with her hands behind her back. "The last time we were here, Kyoya ended up bringing our guests here as well, so I never really got to enjoy myself."

"Haruhi, Valerie! We're going swimming!" Hikaru called out. "Come join us!"

Tamaki looked worried. "But don't you remember what happened the last time to Haruhi the last time she was in the ocean here?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes. "The circumstances were different then, Tamaki-sempai. I'll be fine."

Haruhi, Kaoru, Tamaki, Hunny and I all stood in a row about two yards from the water, staring at it determinedly.

"I've learned that when commoners go swimming at the beach, they run into the waves first. We shall do the same!" Tamaki announced. "On your mark…get set…_go_!"

The five of us ran towards the waves and we screamed in delight when we got into the water. I briefly went underwater before coming back up to the surface. When I'd resurfaced I saw that the twins were engaged in a splashing war, Haruhi and Tamaki were casually swimming around with each other, and Hunny was enjoying himself by floating around on his small pink inner tube. Kyoya and Mori had opted out of going swimming, but they seemed perfectly content with watching us. Mori was keeping a protective eye on Hunny the whole time. I smiled; it was just like a scene out of those old beach movies. I remained in the water for a little while before deciding to go back and let myself dry off by lying out on my towel on the beach Truth be told, I never stayed in the water for very long when I was at the beach.

"Enjoying yourself?" Kaoru asked, coming over to join me. Considering he'd just gotten out of the water he was still wet, making his body and hair glisten in the sun. His black and pale purple swimming trunks were clinging slightly to his legs, showing them off a little. As I took all that in, I felt my cheeks burn, and I knew it wasn't because of the sun.

"Y-yeah…I am…" I stammered.

"Your face is all red." He smirked. "Are you blushing?"

"No!" I responded a little too quickly, and I felt the blush deepen.

"Whatever you say, Valerie." Kaoru smiled. "You're so adorable." He kissed my cheek and went to rejoin Hikaru somewhere.

My eyes were wide and I felt my hand touch my cheek, which was still tingling from the kiss. _Did that really just happen?_ I thought. I looked over and saw that Haruhi had been watching, and there was a knowing smile on her face.

"Valerie, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I think Kaoru likes you."

Hearing that, I felt my stomach plummet. "What makes you say that, Haruhi?"

"Well, it's been kind of obvious to me for a while now. When you got here, the twins were just starting to open up to people more, and Kaoru had never really been interested in any of the girls at Ouran. You might be the first girl he's ever had a crush on. I might not be an expert on love, but I can tell when someone's fallen in love with someone else."

"Still, there'd have to be some signs that he really feels that way about me before I can believe that." I pointed out.

"There are. I've seen the way he looks at you. Whenever you walk into the room his face lights up, and when you're talking to the rest of us, he looks at you like a lovesick puppy."

"Wow…" I whispered and my voice trailed off. All this time I just thought Kaoru was just being nice to me, but I didn't think he actually had feelings for me. At that moment I felt my stomach churn and my heart start to beat faster. I realized that out of all the Host Club members, Kaoru was who I looked forward to seeing the most, the person that kept me going when I was having a bad day. Just seeing him at school or in the music room was enough to cheer me up. A thought came to me, and I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before.

I liked him too. I liked Kaoru Hitachiin a lot.

"Valerie, I honestly think he likes you, but you're scared to let your guard down around him."

"I've let my guard down around him already, haven't I?"

"Well yeah, but I'm talking about in the boyfriend-girlfriend sense."

"I can tell. And you know that as much as I'd like to have a boyfriend someday, I still seriously doubt that it'll happen."

"I understand why you have your doubts, but maybe Kaoru will change that."

**0000**

Spending some free time with Haruhi and the boys was a great way to celebrate the start of summer vacation. The trip to the beach was just what the doctor ordered: I was able to spend time in the sun, get some much-needed fresh air, and I'd managed to do all that without getting sunburned for once. The sun was setting in the distance, filling the sky with warm colors and bathing everything in a golden glow. As beautiful as it was, we decided to call it a day and go back to Kyoya's villa.

"Hey, Valerie? Can I talk to you about something? Privately?" Kaoru asked.

"Sure you can." We waited until everyone else had left before we continued the conversation. "So what's up? You seem a little nervous."

"I am, I'll be honest." Kaoru bit his lip. "I just thought that, well…" He took a deep breath and started again, taking both of my hands in his. "Valerie, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. When I first met you I liked you a lot, and I was really happy that we became friends so quickly. But the thing is, I feel closer to you than I've ever felt with any of the other girls I've met. What I'm trying to say is, I…I love you, Valerie, and I was wondering if you'd like to be my girlfriend."

My jaw dropped. "Wait, back up. Did you just say you were in love with me?""

"Yes."

"Oh my God!" I breathed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry because I wanted to do both. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Why would I lie about something like this?" Kaoru asked. He cupped my cheek with his hand. "Valerie, I am absolutely sure about my feelings for you. And to be honest, I think that having a boyfriend will be a good thing for you, considering everything you went through. I'm not going to force you to be my girlfriend, but I hope you'll say yes."

I thought about it, and realized that it would be impossible to say no to a boy who had shown me nothing but love ever since I met him. I decided right then and there that I would say yes and hold on to him with both hands, because a guy as special as Kaoru Hitachiin didn't come into a girl's life every day. Maybe he was right, maybe having a boyfriend would do me some good. For the longest time I doubted that I was worthy of a guy's love, but Kaoru had just proved to me that I was by asking me what he did.

"I guess it's true when they say that when you stop looking for love, it finds you." I smiled up at Kaoru. "So yes, I would love to be your girlfriend, Kaoru…I love you too. I think I always have been in love with you."

Kaoru smiled. "I've wanted to hear you say that for a long time."

The next thing I knew, Kaoru and I were kissing. Bear in mind that I'd never kissed a guy until that point, so I was trying to figure out exactly how to kiss properly, but I learned pretty quickly. As I met Kaoru's kiss with one of my own, he gently rubbed my back as we held each other.

If that one little moment wasn't pure bliss, I don't know what was.


	10. Chapter 10: Damage Control

**Chapter Ten: Damage Control**

The shock that Kaoru and I were now a couple hadn't worn off by the next evening, but it was the good kind of shock and I didn't mind. Everyone in the club knew by now because Kaoru had announced it before we all turned in for the night. They were all thrilled about it, except for Hikaru. He seemed to have this hurt look on his face for the rest of the time I saw him that night, but he seemed even more upset when I saw him on the way to my room. He was walking out of the twins' room while pulling a carry-on suitcase behind him, with a shocked Kaoru standing in their doorframe watching him.

"Hikaru, what are you doing?" Kaoru asked, looking like he wanted to cry.

"If you must know, I'm going to spend the night _without you_ for once!" Hikaru yelled before he slammed the door on the other side of the hall shut. Kaoru sighed before putting his face in his hands.

"Kaoru, what happened?" I asked quietly.

"I just talked to Hikaru about how you and I are going out now. I admitted that I'd liked you for a while, but also that I was scared to admit it to him because I wasn't sure if he'd be able to accept it." Kaoru explained. "He decided that he couldn't accept it, so he moved himself to another bedroom for the night."

"Maybe he just needs time to get used to this." I suggested. "He might feel better in the morning."

"I don't know; Hikaru's the more childish one out of the two of us, so if something gets to him he usually stays angry for a while until someone gets him to snap out of it."

"I see." The two of us were silent for a couple of minutes. "How about we talk to him about this tomorrow?"

Kaoru pondered this and nodded. "I don't know how well it'll work, but it's worth a try. We should get some sleep, though."

"Yeah, sleep's probably a good idea." I went into Kaoru's outstretched arms and was enfolded in a hug. "Goodnight, Kaoru."

"Sleep well, Valerie." He smiled and hugged me again before we went to our respective rooms.

As I lay in bed I couldn't help but worry about Hikaru. Accepting a change like this was hard for anyone, but it seemed to be impossible for him. _Hikaru probably thinks that Kaoru's going to distance himself from him because of this relationship_, I thought. _But Kaoru would never do that, he cares about Hikaru too much to do that. Hikaru will come around, he just has to_.

**0000**

The next evening had come, and Hikaru hadn't shown any signs of progress. Kaoru and I had agreed that we'd talk this over with Hikaru after dinner, and I was getting really nervous about it. What if it didn't go well?

I met Kaoru at the doors to the dining room wearing a white halter dress with a vintage pink floral pattern on it, just one of the many outfits that had been put in my closet by the twins. Why they wanted to dress me up in stuff like this I had no idea, but I had to admit that they had really good taste for the most part.

"You look beautiful as always." Kaoru smiled when he saw me in the dress, kissing my cheek with Hikaru glaring at us a few feet away. Kaoru and I looked at each other and he nodded. Talking to Hikaru couldn't wait until later. We cautiously walked over to Hikaru, who was sulking in an overstuffed chair.

"Hikaru, what's wrong?" I asked. "You haven't been acting like yourself today."

"I'd be in a better mood if _someone _hadn't informed me that he'd replaced me with a girl. I thought I was the one that mattered the most to you, Kaoru." Hikaru glared at his brother, and I was a little shocked to see that because I'd never seen him angry at Kaoru before. "Obviously that's not the case anymore." He angrily stormed off to another part of the house, but Kaoru ran right after him. Five minutes later they came back, and I noticed Hikaru was crying a little.

"Kaoru told me about what happened last night." I informed him.

"It's like I said, Hikaru, I just wasn't sure how to tell you because I knew there was a chance you'd react like this." Kaoru added. "That's why I was so hesitant to tell you."

"Yeah, well, I guess my feelings don't matter to you if you disregard them the way you did, Kaoru." Hikaru muttered angrily, roughly wiping a couple of tears away. I wasn't sure what he was more upset about: the fact that the person he was closest to was now in a relationship, or that Kaoru had left him in the dark about what was going on.

"Of course your feelings matter to me, why wouldn't they?" Kaoru insisted.

"And what's this about a 'replacement'? Hikaru, I'm not trying to destroy the relationship you have with your brother." I took his hand and he looked up at me. "Listen to me. I might be the first girlfriend Kaoru's ever had, but there is no way I could ever take your brother's place in your life. Kaoru's not going to stop caring about you just because he has a girlfriend. It's okay to be close to more than one person."

"She's right, Hikaru." Kaoru nodded. "You and Valerie are the two most important people in my life right now. I'm not going to distance myself from you because the way I feel about you and the way I feel about her are different."

Hikaru looked confused. "How are they different? I don't understand."

I managed to come up with an explanation that would clear things up for Hikaru. "Okay, you grew up with Kaoru by your side twenty-four seven, so the more time you spent together the closer the two of you became. Since you guys are so close, you have the kind of love shared between two very close brothers. The love that Kaoru and I have is different because the love felt between a couple is different from the kind felt between siblings."

"I think I understand."

Kaoru looked into his twin's eyes. "Hikaru, this isn't going to change anything between us. We'll still be close, and I'll still be here for you. I promise."

Hikaru was silent for a minute as he took it all in, and finally he nodded. "I guess I _was_ being selfish, huh?" He grinned apologetically. "I'm sorry for flipping out like that. It was pretty childish of me to do that in retrospect."

"So…are we forgiven?" Kaoru asked.

Hikaru grinned and playfully messed up his twins' hair. "Of course you are."

As we all enjoyed the seafood dinner that had been prepared for us that night, I noticed that things had definitely improved. Hikaru was obviously feeling better; he even insisted that I sit with Kaoru at the table. With the earlier conflict resolved, I was actually able to have an enjoyable evening filled with talking and laughing with Haruhi and the boys. Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

**0000**

"I really shouldn't have eaten that brownie sundae." I muttered. "But it was so _good_, though…" Rolling onto my side I looked at the clock illuminated in the darkened room and moaned. It was one in the morning and I still showed no signs of being able to fall asleep. It really wasn't a good idea for me to eat anything with an excessive amount of chocolate close to the time I went to bed, because doing that made it impossible for me to fall asleep at a decent time. This was one of those times when I'd chosen to disregard that tendency, and I was deeply regretting it.

I decided to go pace the hallway to see if walking around a little would help tire me out a little. Walking down the long hallway I tried to be as quiet as I could, and I managed to make it to the end of the hallway and back without making any noise. Just as I was about to go into my room try to go back to bed, I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders.

"Valerie, what are you doing up? You're supposed to be asleep." Hikaru said.

"Yeah, it's one in the morning." Kaoru added.

"I couldn't sleep…it's probably because I ate that sundae. Chocolate has been known to keep me awake sometimes." I admitted. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the twins say what they said next.

"Would you sleep better if you slept next to us?"

As surprised as I was to be asked that, I nodded. "It might help. You sure it'll be okay?"

"Of course it will, it always helps us if one of us is having trouble sleeping." Kaoru replied.

The twins' room was quite similar to the room I had, only the color scheme was different. Kaoru climbed into the large bed and he patted the empty space next to him. I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then followed suit and Hikaru got in last.

I was lying on my back with each twin on either side of me. Kaoru was lying on his side with his arm gently wrapped around my waist, and Hikaru was stroking my hair. _Good thing none of the twins' fangirls can see me right now_, I thought, _because they'd beat me to a pulp if they saw me getting cozy with them_.

"Mmm, you guys sure are nice to cuddle with." I murmured.

Kaoru smiled. "Good. You think you'll be able to sleep now?"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"Promise?" Hikaru asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I promise." I said sleepily. Soon my breathing was deep and even as I fell deeper into a content sleep.

Kaoru smiled down at me and kissed my forehead. "Sweet dreams, princess." That was the last thing I saw before falling asleep.


	11. Chapter 11: A Few Changes

**A/N: I'm thrilled to announce that as of June 28****th****, I'm officially a high school graduate! *does happy dance* Let me tell you, it feels exciting AND scary knowing that I'm going to start college in the fall. But anyway, about this chapter: this chapter was SO MUCH FUN to write! This is the result of another idea that just wouldn't go away, and I just couldn't resist putting something like this in the fanfic. ;)**

**Enjoy, and please don't forget to review!**

**Chapter Eleven: A Few Changes**

So far, summer vacation had been a blast. The beach trip really was the perfect start to the break, but now I was back home and there really hadn't been anything too eventful happening since then.

During the second full weak of the break, the twins decided to drop by my house. Thankfully, they had chosen to come in the afternoon instead of the morning, so at least I had actual clothes on instead of pajamas.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked when I saw them. Nobody else was in the foyer, so I took advantage of that to answer the door myself.

"We wanted to see if you'd like to spend the afternoon at our house today." Hikaru replied.

"Well…I really don't have anything better to do, so I guess I will." I nodded. "Just let me go write a note to my dad." I went upstairs and quickly scribbled a note and stuck it on the door to my dad's office before following the twins out the door and into their limo. "Sorry about that, my dad's still at his company's headquarters and he won't get home for another couple of hours." I noticed that the twins had identical smirks on their faces. "Okay guys, I know you. What's this trip to your house _really_ about? Tell me what you're _really_ thinking."

"Do you really want to know?" both of them asked, smirking.

"Yes, I do."

"Since you asked," Kaoru began. "we think that –"

"You need a makeover." Hikaru finished, the smirk still there.

I stared at them. "Am I that ugly?"

"No, we just think you'd look nice with a shorter haircut and some different clothes."

"How long have you guys been planning this?" I managed to ask.

"To be honest we've been thinking about this for a while, so Hikaru and I thought we could do it today." Kaoru explained.

"We know exactly what we're going to do with you." The twins grinned evilly and rubbed their hands together. I groaned, just what had I agreed to?

** 0000**

The Hitachiin mansion was even bigger than the one I lived in, but to my surprise I didn't see either their mother or their father there. They explained that their parents weren't home all that often, so they had the house to themselves for the most part. They took me to the second floor to a room that was filled with racks of clothes, shoes and accessories.

I whistled. "Your mom designed all these?"

"She sure did." The twins nodded proudly. "We've already put some outfits together for you, so go try some on when you're ready."

I went into the changing room, which was a curtained-off portion of the room. There was in fact an assortment of outfits waiting for me to put them on. All I had to do was choose one and see if it met the twins' approval.

"Before you put any of the outfits on, put these on first." The twins handed me something on a hanger through the curtains so that they wouldn't see me.

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed, taking a look at the white lace push-up bra and lace-trimmed white boy shorts. "What're you giving me frilly things for?!"

"Every girl needs good lingerie in her wardrobe!" Kaoru called back.

"And that current bra you're wearing isn't doing you any favors." Hikaru added, snickering.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll wear it." I slipped the underwear on and found that it fit perfectly. "Wow, so I actually _do_ have cleavage." I murmured when I looked into the mirror. My eyes then widened. "Wait a second, just how do you guys know my bra size?"

"We have our ways."

"Okay, then…" Once I was dressed in one of the outfits, I went out to show them how it looked.

The twins were actually really helpful when it came to clothes as I tried things on. They gave me their honest opinions about every outfit and suggested alternatives for whatever didn't look good on me, or if I didn't feel comfortable wearing something. They told me that their mom had designed these clothes specifically for me and that I'd be able to keep them all.

"Okay, let's get to work on your hair." The twins declared. Frowns of curiosity appeared on their faces when they saw me walk to the door of the room. "Where are you going?"

"Aren't we going someplace to have it done?" I asked.

"Nope, we have everything we need right here." The twins cleared out the clothes rack to reveal a salon chair in front of a styling station that had everything one could need to style hair. As soon as I'd taken a seat, Hikaru put a towel around my shoulders and Kaoru brushed my hair out. Looking at the stuff they had set up, I saw a pair of scissors and sighed when I realized they'd been serious about cutting my hair.

"Please don't cut it too short." I pleaded.

"We won't, we promise." Hikaru replied, picking up a spray bottle and dampening my hair. As he sectioned it Kaoru combed some of my hair so that it fell in front of my face.

Kaoru could probably sense just how nervous I was because he squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. "Just relax, you're going to look great. We won't give you a haircut that wouldn't suit you."

"If it'll help, go ahead and close your eyes if you need to." Hikaru added.

I nodded and did just that. I heard the scissors close down on a lock of my hair and I could feel the hair coming off, and I honestly didn't want to see how much they were cutting off. Even with my eyes closed, I sensed that they seemed to be concentrating on the front for some reason. When they finally stopped I breathed a sigh of relief and opened my eyes to see that Kaoru had finished selecting the makeup he wanted to put on me. I wanted to see what they'd done to my hair, so I tried to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror placed behind the styling station.

"Oh, no you don't!" Hikaru grinned. He took the towel that had previously been on my shoulders and draped it over the mirror so that it was completely covered. "You're not seeing any of this until we're done."

"Fine." I sighed.

Kaoru took a seat in front of me and picked up one of the makeup containers and a small application brush. "Okay, close your eyes." I obeyed, opening them only when Kaoru instructed me to as he was putting the stuff on me. To be honest I wasn't used to people putting makeup on me, so I flinched away a couple of times. Kaoru just laughed gently whenever I did that and he still managed to finish the makeup job.

Finally, the twins stood up in front of me and critically examined my new appearance, as if they were checking for something that wasn't right to them like a hair flyaway or a makeup smudge. Just when I'd had enough of them looking at me that way, triumphant grins appeared.

"So, um…how do I look?" I asked nervously.

"You look _amazing_!" they exclaimed, giving me the thumbs up. Hikaru took the towel off the mirror and Kaoru turned the chair to face the mirror. Finally feeling brave enough to do so, I opened my eyes.

I gasped when I saw my reflection. I examined my hair first, it _did_ look pretty cool. It had been cut from waist-length to about six inches below my shoulders. I also had long bangs that fell to just above my eyes, and a small section of hair on each side of my face had been cut to cheek level, framing my face well. My eyes now jumped out more thanks to some dark brown eyeliner, black mascara and a little bit of brown eyeshadow. As for my lips, they had just the right amount of a natural-colored lip gloss on them so that they had a shine to them without looking overdone. I had to admit, I _did_ look prettier with this new look.

"So, what do you think?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked.

"I love it, you guys." I smiled and hugged them. "Thanks so much."

"You're very welcome, sweetie." Kaoru kissed my cheek.

"See? We told you you'd look great!" Hikaru winked and we laughed. I had to admit they'd been right!

"What do you think everyone at school will think?" I wondered aloud; it was a question meant out of curiosity rather than fear.

"They're going to be stunned in the best way possible."

**0000**

I nervously walked into my dad's office to show him what had been done that afternoon. He was bound to notice sooner or later, but I wasn't sure how he'd take such a change.

"Hey, Dad." I shuffled my feet nervously when he saw me.

The shock and somewhat angry response I'd half expected to get from him never came. Instead, my dad's face lit up in a small, pleasantly surprised smile. "Hey, honey. You'll probably hate me for saying this, but you look pretty." Dad knew I had a hard time with compliments because I wasn't used to getting them. "Is this what you were doing at the Hitachiin's house today?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, they decided to do this today partly because they had nothing better to do and partly because they thought it would be good for me."

"Those two really do go all out." Dad chuckled. "I'm glad I gave them permission."

"Wait, you let them do this?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, I did. They sent me a message to my work Email address not too long ago and asked if they could give you this makeover. They said they wanted to do it because they thought it would make you feel better about yourself, so I agreed. Trust me when I say that it hurts a parent to see their child feel so negative about themselves."

Part of me wanted to hate my dad for knowing about this makeover long before I did, but I found it was impossible to feel like that. As much as the twins adored messing with someone's appearance, I knew they'd never do that to me with bad intentions. Kaoru knew I didn't feel that good about myself, so it had probably been him that had suggested the idea of making me over to Hikaru. It was like Kaoru said, he wanted to see me smile more, and to me that included being happy with the way I looked more often. Deep down, I knew the two of them had my best interests at heart.

I went to bed that night without any regrets about what had happened that day, and I realized I was excited to see how everyone at school would react. But the most important thing was that I'd realized I now felt as pretty as everyone said I was. It was a sign that, for the first time, I was finally starting to truly feel good about myself.


	12. Chapter 12: Reunion

**A/N: PLEASE READ THIS. Everyone, please believe me when I say that I am incredibly sorry for making you wait almost three months for another chapter. I had to spend the better part of my summer getting ready to move to college, and once I got up here I needed to adjust to college life. I meant to post an update sooner, but with everything going on I haven't had that much time to just sit down and write. Another thing I had to do was figure out where the plot of the story was going, and it took me a while to decide. I now know where it'll go from here, and I've also decided that Two Roses for One Princess will end at fourteen chapters. Fortunately, I've already started writing the final chapters, and I hope to get those posted soon. Chapter Twelve didn't come out as well as I'd hoped, but it'll pick up again with Chapter Thirteen. With that being said, please forgive me for the lack of updates for so long, and don't forget to review! :)**

**Chapter Twelve: Reunion**

With summer vacation halfway over, I was just sitting in the living room portion of my room reading a book. As soon as I had finished reading the final sentence of the current chapter I was on, I heard a knock on my door and Dad walked in.

"Valerie, I just thought you should know that there's someone who really wants to see you downstairs." Dad smiled. For a second I thought he meant someone from the Host Club or maybe even Haruhi, but the smile gave me the idea that it was someone else.

I curiously went halfway down the stairs to see if I could figure out who this mystery person was. When I realized who it was, I ran down the stairs in excitement. The person waiting for me turned around and ran over to the bottom of the stairs to meet me.

"Katie!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, Valerie!" Katie laughed as we shared a massive hug. "Oh my God, you cut your hair! And you're wearing makeup, too! You look awesome!"

"Thanks! So tell me, what're you doing here?" I asked, still shocked that she was there.

"Well your dad knew just how much we missed seeing each other, so he arranged to fly me over here for a few days." Katie explained. "By the way, when we last talked on the phone you said that you had something you wanted to tell me."

I grinned. "Yeah, I have a boyfriend now!"

"Aww, finally!" She laughed and hugged me. "See? I told you you'd find someone eventually! What's his name?"

"Kaoru Hitachiin."

"One of the twins you told me about? Oh, wow!" She smiled. "So, now that I'm here and we have a few days together, what do you want to do today?"

I thought about it before an idea struck me. "Well, how does some Tokyo-style shopping sound? There are a ton of stores in Ginza and Shinjuku, as well as a department store that's practically the equivalent to Saks Fifth Avenue."

"Sounds awesome, let's go." Katie nodded eagerly. Laughing, we went into the limo. One thing was for sure: our love of going shopping together hadn't gone away.

**0000**

Katie and I had ended up going to Ginza first to check out that department store as well as the other high-end stores in the area. As fun as it was to be in stores like that, it still intimidated me a bit even though I could easily afford something they sold. After getting a bite to eat, we hopped on the subway and went to Shinjuku, where they sold clothes that were not only way more affordable, but they were more our style. Since it was a Sunday afternoon we got to see the weekly gathering of people in Harajuku, which was something we'd always wanted to see in person. We were currently in Yoyogi Park just resting and talking about the day.

"This has got to be one of the best shopping excursions we've ever been on." Katie declared.

"Well I know it's not the same thing as running around the mall back home all day, but I'm glad." I grinned and we laughed.

"You kidding? That's not nearly as fun as today was." Katie insisted. Back when I still lived in the states, she and I would pick a day during Christmas break and spend the day at the local mall. It was just a little tradition of ours, and we always had a good time. She checked the time on her cell phone and sighed. "Looks like it's time for us to head back to the house."

I looked at her phone. "Yeah, you're right." As we started heading back to the subway station I got the feeling that I was forgetting about something, something important. I shrugged it off, it was probably nothing.

When we got back home, I saw a note taped to the front door, telling me to "go into the living room for a surprise". Frowning, I did as the note instructed with Katie following me, and I opened the door to the dining room to find that it was completely dark.

"Why are all the lights off?" I wondered aloud. I quickly found the switch, and when I turned it on I saw that the entire host club and Haruhi were there with my dad. Clusters of balloons were all over the living room, and on the dining room table was an array of desserts and drinks with a beautiful cake in the center of the table.

"Happy birthday, Valerie!" the boys and Haruhi chorused.

I smacked my forehead. "Oh man, I completely forgot it was my birthday today!" _That's_ what I had forgotten! How I could've forgotten my own seventeenth birthday was beyond me. I was just about to ask how they knew when I remembered that Kyoya had probably found out when my birthday was. "Katie, did you know about this?"

Katie grinned. "I sure did. This was part of the reason I came to visit."

"I figured that flying her over here would be a good birthday present for you." Dad added. "Kyoya told the club members when your birthday was, and Tamaki insisted that they stage a surprise party for you."

"You guys never cease to amaze me." I laughed. "Now that we're all here, how about some birthday cake?"

**0000**

I couldn't have asked for a better way to turn seventeen than by having a small party with family and close friends, which was how I'd always preferred to celebrate my birthdays. They'd even gone the extra mile to get me birthday presents, even though I insisted they didn't have to. I slid another forkful of the red velvet cake into my mouth before smiling at Hunny. "Thanks for the cake, Hunny-sempai. But you didn't have to get me anything."

"It's no big deal. I wanted to get you something yummy for your birthday, and you said how much you like that kind of cake." Hunny's face lit up in that adorable smile of his before he gave me a hug. "Happy birthday, Val-chan!" Hunny then ran off to go back to Mori, leaving Katie and I to ourselves.

"He is so freaking cute!" Katie exclaimed as she watched Hunny get up on Mori's shoulders.

"But not as cute as Kyoya, right?" I smirked.

"Oh, shush!" Katie stuck her tongue out at me before checking to make sure Kyoya hadn't overheard her. When I'd introduced Katie to the club members, there just seemed to be this softened look in Kyoya's eyes when they met. He and Katie hit it off immediately and they ended up talking for a solid hour. I was impressed, after all it wasn't every day that I saw Kyoya truly warm up to a girl.

"Don't look so freaked out, Katie. Kyoya seemed to really like you. The way he was acting around you was different than he normally acts with girls at school, and I think those feelings were genuine." I counseled.

"Valerie, do you mind if I steal Katie away for a little while?" Kyoya asked, coming over as if on cue.

"No, go ahead." I smiled. I really didn't mind, because I wanted to see where the connection of theirs led them.

"I've never seen Kyoya go after a girl like that." Haruhi remarked, taking Katie's place on the couch next to me. Just like I'd hoped, Katie and Haruhi were on their way to becoming good friends with each other, even if they had just met that afternoon. "Do you think Katie likes him just as much as he likes her?"

"I absolutely do. I also think Katie really deserves something like this." She'd been through a couple of really difficult relationships where the guys didn't make the effort or really seemed truly interested, so it was great to see a guy take genuine interest in her.

All of a sudden Katie came running over to us looking happier than I'd seen her in a while. "Val, Kyoya just asked me out to dinner tomorrow night!"

"That's great!" I hugged her. "I knew he liked you! Where's he going to take you?"

"I don't know, but he said to dress up for the date."

"Knowing Kyoya-sempai, that probably means someplace so fancy and overpriced that only people like him could afford it." Haruhi rolled her eyes and the three of us laughed.

When the party ended and everyone had gone home, Katie and I trudged our way upstairs. She was staying in one of the guest rooms during her stay in Japan, because we wanted to spend as much time together as we could and Dad and I didn't want to make her stay in a hotel alone.

"Hey Val, have you ever thought that Kaoru might be the one?" Katie asked just before we turned in for the night.

"What're you talking about?"

"I'm saying, what if you and Kaoru keep dating? What I mean to say is, what if the two of you ended up getting married?"

I laughed. "Katie, I very highly doubt that our relationship will go that far. After all, we're still teenagers, and you know that teenage relationships normally don't last very long."

"But it never hurts to just imagine what it would be like if something like that happened." Katie smiled.

"That's true, I guess." I shrugged. "But I don't want to get my hopes up. That would be overdoing it a little."

What I didn't admit was just how much I'd love to marry Kaoru.


	13. Chapter 13: Uncertainty

**A/N: Sorry about the incredibly long wait again, everyone. This chapter is a bit on the long side, so I hope this makes up for the wait. While this chapter and the next take place during the Ouran fair, let me be clear: I absolutely REFUSE to use Éclair Tonnerre in this fanfic. I really don't like her as a character, and putting her in this would be too cliché. Besides, there's enough drama in this chapter without her. :)**

**Enjoy, and please don't forget to review! **

**Chapter Thirteen: Uncertainty **

"What's going on?" I asked Kyoya, who was standing amongst the crowd with a clipboard in his hands. Things were being constructed all over the place, and most of the student body was gathered outside, along with what looked like business representatives and movers.

"The annual Ouran Academy school fair is taking place this weekend. During those two days parents and visitors are invited to come see the school." Kyoya explained.

I looked around. "But isn't the school supposed to plan this out?"

"You seem to be forgetting what kind of backgrounds the students here have." Kyoya smiled. "Being from prominent families, it's important that they have the necessary planning and leadership skills in order to take on their family's businesses. So, the Ouran fair is an ideal training ground."

"That makes sense, now that you've explained it. I guess there's still a lot for me to learn about being rich." I grinned. "You can take the girl out of the commoner world, but you can't take the commoner out of the girl!"

Kyoya laughed. "When you put it that way, I suppose you're right!"

I wandered around to look at everything that was being set up, and when I noticed that the main salon in the central building was open I couldn't resist a peek. When I walked inside I couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at everything around me. The entire room's floor was covered in a soft-looking reddish-pink carpet, the white walls were decorated with gold accents, and two crystal chandeliers were suspended from the pink ceiling. Small tables, couches and armchairs were scattered all around the room, and at the very center was an ornately carved marble fountain.

"Ah, Valerie!" Tamaki waved from the center of the room. "What do you think? We're using this room for Host Club entertainment during the fair!"

"Don't you think this is a little much?" I asked, coming over to join him.

"Well, we need a bigger space than just a music room to accommodate the parents and visitors coming. No price is too high! And think of all the exposure we'll get!"

"You've got a point there when it comes to needing the extra space." I sat down on the nearest couch and sighed.

"Oh, what's wrong, my dear?" Tamaki sat down next to me.

"I'm just nervous about the visitors. I know that a lot of Japan's elite has taken interest in my dad's fortune. They'll probably want to meet him while he's here today, but what if they want to meet me as well? I'm just worried they won't think highly of me."

"Just be as confident as you can, and since your father's going to be here he'll probably do most of the talking. You're always polite and kind to people, so just be that way with the visitors and they'll approve of you." Tamaki gave me a kind smile and gently squeezed my hand. "You'll be fine, princess. I know you will."

I smiled back. "Thanks, Tamaki."

"You're very welcome. Now then, let's head to the music room. We Host Club members to get ready, and Hikaru and Kaoru need to get you dolled up."

I looked out the large window at the clock tower. "Yeah, you're right. The fair is supposed to start soon." I got up and followed him to the music room, and I noticed that he had a thoughtful look on his face.

"I don't know why," Tamaki said, "but I think this Ouran fair will be the best one yet."

****

I nervously smoothed the dress I had on, and I made a mental note to thank Hikaru and Kaoru for picking it out for me. The tea-length dress was made out of sky blue chiffon with a scoop neckline and cap sleeves, and the empire waist was decorated in an intricate pattern of white beads, which matched the white pumps I was wearing. Looking around the salon I was glad to see that I wasn't overdressed, in fact this whole fair seemed to be a semiformal event judging by the way the other girls in the room were dressed. I heard the clock chime three in the afternoon, and the doors opened and the parents and visitors began to enter the room. I didn't see Dad at first which worried me, but I sighed in relief when I saw him enter the salon.

"I'm glad you could come to this, Dad." I said after we'd hugged. "I was kind of worried something came up at the last minute."

"I was a little worried about that as well, but everyone respected my request to keep this afternoon open." Dad smiled. "I have the afternoon off." He looked around the salon. "Is everything the Host Club does as over-the-top as this?"

"Dad, there's no such thing as over-the-top at Ouran Academy." I rolled my eyes and we both laughed.

"Ah, Craig! Good to see you again!" A middle-aged man with a few locks of mahogany hair escaping its slicked-back style and wearing a business suit came over to join us.

"Ichiro!" My dad smiled and the two of them exchanged bows. "Valerie, I'd like you to meet Ichiro Akiyama. He's the man who expressed interest in my phone in the first place and helped me get my business started. Ichiro, this is my daughter Valerie."

I couldn't help but be amazed, after all my dad and I owed everything to this man. If it weren't for Mr. Akiyama, we would've never had this opportunity. Remembering what Tamaki had said, I smiled politely and bowed to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Akiyama."

"And it's a pleasure to finally meet you at last, Miss Valerie." Mr. Akiyama smiled back. "I've wanted to meet you for some time, your father has told me a lot about you. Do you like it here at Ouran Academy?"

"Yes I do, in fact. It's a really nice school and I've made a number of friends since I started attending school here."

"That's excellent to hear. I was one person who recommended Ouran Academy to your father when the two of you were searching for possible schools."

"Oh, well thank you for recommending it to him." Out of the corner of my eye I saw that Hikaru and Kaoru weren't busy. "Could you excuse me, though?"

"Of course." Dad nodded. As I walked off I could hear Mr. Akiyama and Dad talking.

"She's so polite and mature for someone her age, Craig, and quite pretty, too. You must be very proud of her."

"Well, yes, I am." Dad nodded with a smile. "We're very close, after all it's always been just her and I."

I sighed when I heard that. My mom had died when I was two, so I never really knew her. When I saw kids with their mothers, I found myself wishing I could've grown up with her there. Still, that only brought Dad and I closer together, and we were inseparable now.

"Hey, you two." I smiled, and their faces lit up when they saw me. "I never got the chance to thank you guys for the dress."

"No problem, it was our pleasure." Hikaru grinned. "You know how much we love to dress you up."

"Yeah, I do." I laughed, but I stopped when I saw Kaoru. Instead of looking at me he seemed to be staring off into space. "Hey, Kaoru, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Kaoru replied softly. "Are you enjoying the fair?"

"Yeah, it's not so bad once you get used to talking to the people that visit."

"That's good." Kaoru didn't say anything else after that. The twins had to do some more hosting to do, so I just walked around to see if there was something else I could occupy my time with.

"Valerie!" To my surprise, I saw that Katie was at the top of the stairs leading into the salon.

"Katie!" I exclaimed. "What're you doing at Ouran?"

"Well, there was a freak power outage at school. They've found out what went wrong but they need to fix the wiring in the whole school, so it's closed until next Thursday."

"Wait a sec, did my dad hear about that and just offer to fly you over here again?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, pretty much." Katie shrugged and we both laughed. "Hey does my dress look okay to you?" She was wearing a knee-length black halter dress with a crystal brooch on the bodice.

"It looks great!" I nodded. "What do you think of mine?"

"I love it." She smiled. "I've always liked your taste in clothes."

"Aww, thanks." I looked over and saw Kyoya coming over to us and smirked. "And here comes Kyoya." I had to stifle a laugh when I saw her blush.

"What a pleasant surprise, I didn't expect to see you here, Katie." Kyoya kissed her cheek.

"Oh, uh, hey Kyoya." Katie blushed again and I laughed. My heart melted when I saw him slip an arm around her waist as they sat down to talk about what they'd been doing since the last time they'd seen each other.

"Excuse me, Master Kyoya, but your father is here." A man who looked like a bodyguard appeared as the three of us were talking. We looked over to see a slightly thin middle-aged man with black hair, mustache, beard and brown-rimmed glasses looking over at Kyoya expectantly.

"Very well." Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose. "Katie, Valerie, please excuse me."

"So how are things between you and Kaoru these days?" Katie asked.

"Oh, pretty well I guess. It's just that…" My voice trailed off as I thought about what had happened earlier.

"What is it?" She sounded a bit concerned.

"It's nothing." I shook my head dismissively. I didn't want to tell her what had happened, or that Kaoru's demeanor hadn't changed for the rest of the day.

Suddenly we heard a loud slap. I looked up just in time to see that Kyoya's father had his arm raised, and I noticed a red mark on his son's face. I gasped as everyone else did when we realized what had happened: Kyoya's father had slapped him.

"I cannot believe you've been taking part in such a ridiculous club as this." Mr. Otori's voice was dangerously low. "You are an embarrassment not just to me, but to the Otori name." He walked away and Kyoya walked back over to Katie and I acting like nothing had happened.

"Kyoya, why didn't you tell us that your dad treats you like that?" Katie asked. We'd gone into a corner of the salon so that we could talk to him about this. "You could've told Val and you could've told me. What's going on between you and your dad?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you." He sighed. "Both of my brothers are medical school graduates, and they're both the managers of two of my family's most successful hospitals. Being the third son I'm under considerable pressure to surpass both of their achievements if I want to be my father's successor. When he found out that I'm a member of the Host Club, he told me I'm an embarrassment to our family and that I'm not fit to succeed him."

"So you're saying that your dad doesn't think you're good enough for him just because you're in a school club?" I asked incredulously, and he nodded. "Kyoya, that's not fair! Your own father shouldn't treat you like that! If it wasn't for you, the Host Club would go bankrupt!"

"I know, but my accounting abilities aren't enough to impress my father." He sighed. "I'll consider it a miracle if I'm even considered for being named his successor after this."

"Excuse me a minute." Katie said, and when I saw her I was shocked. I'd never seen her as angry as she was then. Shaking with rage, Kyoya and I watched as she walked over to his father. "Excuse me, Mr. Otori, do you have a minute?"

"Why yes, I do." Mr. Otori nodded. "What can I do for you?"

"What can you do for me? You can explain why you treat your youngest son so poorly, that's what you can do for me." Katie replied icily. As soon as she said that everyone in the room turned to watch. "As his father, you should be proud of Kyoya instead of ashamed of him! Maybe he hasn't done what his brothers have, but Kyoya works twenty-four seven to make sure the Host Club doesn't go bankrupt and to make sure the guests are enjoying themselves! How dare you say that he isn't good enough when it's obvious that he _is_ good enough? Kyoya is extremely talented at what he does, and I think you denying him the chance to succeed you would be the biggest mistake you'll ever make."

A long silence passed before Mr. Otori finally spoke. "I see." He got up and walked out of the salon. "That must be the girl Kyoya currently has an interest in." Mr. Otori muttered to himself as he walked past me.

"Val, I think I'll leave now." Katie said after she calmed down. "I'm staying at your house again, so can you please call Masaru so that he can pick me up?"

"Sure, no problem." I got out my phone and dialed his number. Where Katie had gotten the courage to confront Mr. Otori like that, I would never know.

****

Thankfully, the first day of the Ouran fair was drawing to a close. I decided that I wanted to leave early so I called Masaru to pick me up. I told Dad that I was leaving, and I went outside to wait for my ride home. As I waited I saw that two women were talking to each other, and I managed to catch what they were saying.

"His fortune is impressive, but it _is_ new money." One woman remarked. "Selling a cell phone? How can you possibly make a fortune by doing _that_?"

"Oh, I agree." The other woman nodded. "And just look at his daughter! She's got the manners and all, but she couldn't manage that company to save her life! I don't care how rich she is, she's still a commoner and that'll _never_ change. In my day, there was no way a former commoner could get into Ouran Academy!"

The two women laughed and I felt my cheeks burn, and they were still red when Masaru finally arrived.

****

The next morning, I could still hear the words and laughter of those two women in my head. When I had woken up I didn't have the strength to get out of bed, so I decided to stay home that day because I wasn't required to go to the Ouran fair. All I could think about was what the women had said, and I realized there was some truth to their claims.

Did I really belong in this world of the rich? If you really think about it, I was just lucky in that respect. My dad was taking a risk and the odds were against him, and even though we'd become incredibly wealthy I knew that not everyone would take us seriously because we got rich so quickly. I also knew and understood now that some people thought that I wouldn't be able to take over the company because I hadn't been trained to do so.

_Maybe I should just move back home_, I thought. The more I thought about it, the more the idea seemed to be the right thing to do. I'd go back to the States, see if I could finish up my high school years and live a normal life instead of the one I was living now.

I would also forget about Kaoru.

He seemed so distant recently, as if he had something constantly on his mind. He wasn't really speaking to me that much, but when he did it was just small talk. Even if I looked his way and we made eye contact, he'd blush and instantly look away. Honestly, I didn't want to forget about him, but I felt it would be for the best if I did. He deserved someone better, a girl whose money had been in her family for generations and was brought up to be ready to inherit it.

I had to leave Japan. It was the only way I could get my head on straight.

An hour later I was all packed, and I had receipts printed out for my plane ticket back home and the hotel I was going to stay at. From there I'd see if I could go live with one of my relatives for a while until I could find myself an apartment and a job that would help me pay rent.

"Valerie? Where are you going?" Dad asked when he saw my suitcases in hand.

"Well, the Host Club is going on a weekend trip to New York City and they invited me to come with them. I'm supposed to meet them at the airport because our flight leaves at three today."

Dad nodded. "Okay, have a good time. Call me when you get there."

"I will." I then headed out the door and got into the limo. "Masaru, can you take me to the airport, please?"

"Of course." Masaru replied. His eyes lingered on my passport. "Going back to the United States?"

"Yeah, we have a family emergency right now." I don't know how I came up with that excuse so quickly, but fortunately Masaru seemed to buy it. Now there was one more thing I had to do.

"Ah, Valerie. What can I do for you?" Kyoya's cool voice answered through my cell phone.

"Hey, Kyoya. I was just wondering if you could tell everyone in the club that…I can't make it to the second day of the fair. There was a death in my family and I need to go back to the States for the funeral." I managed to say.

"All right, I'll tell them." Kyoya assured me.

"Okay, thanks Kyoya." The minute I shut my phone my tears spilled over.

Obviously there wasn't a death, but one could assume otherwise because of how much I was crying. No matter how much I could try to convince myself otherwise, I knew I was going to miss the Host Club. Mori sticking up for me no matter what, Hunny's cuteness and incurable love of sweets, Tamaki being the perfect gentleman despite his spastic tendencies, Kyoya's skills at keeping everything together, Hikaru and Kaoru's unbreakable bond between each other, Haruhi's ability to stay sane and be such a good friend to me…I was going to miss all that so much. But the one I was going to miss the most was Kaoru. The love he had for me was one of the things I'd come to value the most in my life, and I'd still love him despite my best efforts to forget about him. After all, they did say that you never forget your first love.

"We're here." Masaru pulled up in front of the airport doors and helped me get my suitcases out of the limo. Just as I was about to go inside Masaru took my hand and looked at me the same way Dad did when trying to comfort me. "Before you go, I just want to tell you something I think will help you. Everything may be in shambles now, but I promise it'll get better later on. Just remember, Mistress Valerie, you have to stay strong even if it seems that everything around you is falling apart."

"I'll try to remember that. Thanks, Masaru." I had to hold back tears as I took my suitcases into the airport.

As soon as I got my boarding passes and passport checked, I sat down in the gate. My head fell into my hands and I started crying again. Wiping my eyes, I looked up at the clock and saw that I had half an hour until the plane took off. I could only hope that the Host Club and Dad would forgive me for leaving.


	14. Chapter 14: The Promise

**Chapter Fourteen: The Promise**

"Valerie!" A guy's voice yelled to me. "Don't you dare get on that plane!"

I gasped when I saw Hikaru running towards me, battling his way through the crowd. When he got to me I saw that the expression on his face was a combination of anger, sadness and desperation, and I even saw tears running down his face. "H-Hikaru, what're you doing here?"

"That's not important. What _is_ important is that everyone in the Host Club knows what went on with those women you overheard at the fair." Hikaru wiped his eyes and calmed himself down before continuing. "See, they each have daughters that request Kaoru and I as hosts regularly, and when they found out that you and Kaoru were a couple they got jealous. They got their mothers to follow you as you left, and they staged that whole conversation you heard while you were waiting for your ride home."

"Oh my God…" I was too stunned to say anything for a minute. "How could they be okay with doing something as pathetic as that?"

"They did it because their daughters are spoiled brats." Hikaru rolled his eyes in disgust. "But they mainly agreed to do it because they don't think former commoners belong among the rich."

"How did you guys find all that out?" I finally asked.

"Well, I don't know how he did this, but Kyoya got a hold of his family's police force and told them what the girls and their moms looked like. The four of them left the fair early today, and when they tried to leave they were handcuffed while the rest of the officers barricaded the school's entrance. We didn't let them leave until they explained themselves, and they told us everything. The women had to make a formal apology to your dad, and their daughters have been banned from the Host Club. They'll think twice about doing something like this again, I can tell."

"Wow..." That was all I could say.

"You're going to run into people like that when you're rich, but you can't let that phase you." Hikaru said. "I know it's hard, but you can't let people control you like that."

I then remembered my conversation with Kyoya and a sinking feeling set in. "Kyoya figured me out, didn't he?"

"Actually, Kaoru was the one who figured out you were running away. Valerie, why the hell are you doing this? Your dad's freaking out, everyone in the Host Club is really worried about you, and Kaoru hasn't been able to stop crying because he thinks you're leaving because of him."

"Because of…" I felt my face pale and my stomach lurch.

"Valerie Russell, you listen to me right now." Hikaru gripped me by my arms. I expected him to be angry, but he just looked so desperate. "You need to stay in Japan. Your dad, the club, Haruhi, we all love you and need you here, especially Kaoru." Against his best efforts, tears started running down Hikaru's face. "You probably don't know this, but Kaoru's now the happiest he's ever been in his life because of you. You mean more to him than you know, and I am _not_ going let you take that away from him." Hikaru took a few deep breaths to calm down and wiped the tears away before looking me in the eye. "I just hope you understand that if you leave, not only will it hurt Kaoru, but it'll hurt you, too."

I thought about it and realized Hikaru was right. If I went back to the States I'd end up longing to go back to Japan because of how much I'd miss everyone. The Host Club was like a family to me now. "I feel that I owe you guys for being so kind to me since day one." I thought out loud. "The least I could do is stay in Japan, I mean why should I try to destroy something I've come to value so much?"

"Exactly." Hikaru nodded. "So, will you stay?"

"I absolutely will." I nodded.

"Then I think you should tell Kaoru that. He's waiting downstairs. I'll go cancel your plane reservation for you."

"Okay." I nodded and went down to the first floor of the airport. True to Hikaru's word, Kaoru was in fact there waiting for me. We were two feet away from each other when our eyes locked and I felt mine well up. I dropped my carry-on at my feet and ran over to Kaoru, who scooped me up in a tight, loving hug. We were both crying by then and we could tell that people were watching us, but we couldn't have cared less.

"I'm so sorry, Kaoru." I managed to say in between my sobs. "I didn't mean for it to go this far."

"I know you didn't. But at least you came to your senses while you still could." Karou gently lifted my chin up. "Valerie, I know you think I deserve better, but I don't think that at all. When I said you were the best thing that's ever happened to me, I meant it. Please believe me when I say that."

"I do. But what about the people that don't think I deserve someone like you? I don't want to be the reason why someone thinks negatively of you."

"If that happens, that happens. I don't care what they think about this. Damn it, I love you Valerie, and nothing anyone else says or does will ever change that."

Hearing that, I realized just how good I had it. Unlike some guys in the world, Kaoru genuinely loved me. Whether it was because I had almost run away or because I'd been so emotional those last two days I wasn't sure, but I had discovered that I loved him just as much. We seemed to have a love that was stronger and more meaningful than most people our age. I couldn't believe how ridiculous I'd been to decide to run away, because I knew deep down that I'd never bring myself to let go of what he and I had. Besides, if I broke it off with him, my chances were extremely low that I'd find another guy who meant as much to me as he did.

Against my will, I started crying again and turned away from Kaoru. "I'm sorry, I can't cry in front of you."

"No, don't you ever tell me you can't cry in front of me. It's okay." Kaoru said softly. "But really, you shouldn't have to cry when you have all you've ever wanted." He let a few moments of silence pass before speaking again. "So, are we still a couple?"

"Only if you want to be, after all I completely overreacted."

"Of course I still want to be." Kaoru kissed my forehead. "I love you, and that won't change. Do you still want to be my girlfriend despite how you felt earlier?"

"I absolutely do." I nodded. We kissed again, and with that we left the airport.

**0000**

"There, that should do it." Akemi smiled as she finished lacing up the back of my dress by tying the ribbons in a bow. "Is it too tight?"

"No, it's perfect." I smiled and did a playful turn in front of the mirror. The Ouran fair was concluding that night with a grand ball, and if a girl was attending with a Host Club member she was required to wear a ball gown with a full skirt. Not that I was complaining, because I absolutely adored my dress. It was a pale pink strapless gown that had small clusters of crystals scattered all over the bodice and skirt. My hair was slightly pulled back with diamond clips and the ends of my hair were curled into large ringlets. I even had on white elbow-length gloves and diamond chandelier earrings that were the perfect finishing touch.

"Knock, knock!" Katie walked in holding her gown up. It was white with black embroidery all over the bodice and black ribbon trimming the hems of the many skirt layers. Her hair had been pulled back and curled with two loose curls framing her face. Black elbow-length gloves were on her arms, and completing the look was a necklace with pear-shaped diamonds with matching earrings. "Can one of you guys zip me up, please?"

"You got it." I quickly zipped up her dress and grinned. "Katie, you look awesome. Kyoya's really going to like what he sees tonight!"

"You should talk, Kaoru's going to feint when he sees you!" She looked at her watch. "Hey, wasn't our ride supposed to come right about now?"

"Oh yeah, you're right." When we got downstairs and out into my driveway, there was a black open carriage with a white horse at the front waiting for us.

"Wow!" Katie exclaimed. "I didn't think we'd actually be taken there in a carriage!"

"It's probably one of Tamaki's ideas, he loves to go over-the-top." I laughed. After being helped into the carriage I told the driver Haruhi's address so that we could pick her up.

"Why hello, Valerie!" Ranka greeted me at the door. "Haruhi, she's here!"

"Okay, I'll be out in a sec!" Haruhi called back.

Ranka smiled when he looked over my outfit. "By the way, you look simply gorgeous tonight, darling."

"Well, thank you." I smiled back. It was just then I noticed what he was wearing. I was surprised to see him wearing a tuxedo with his hair pulled back into a low ponytail instead of the skirts and dresses he normally wore. "Ranka, are you coming to the ball as well?"

"Why yes, after all this is when parents can visit the school. I wouldn't dare show up in a dress and heels, people would have a heart attack!" Ranka laughed, and then looked around to make sure nobody else could hear. "And, between you and me, I need to keep an eye on that Tamaki to make sure he doesn't do something scandalous to my Haruhi."

I laughed. "Don't worry, Ranka. Tamaki is a real gentleman, he won't do anything."

"Okay, I'm ready, Dad." Haruhi slid back the rice paper door and came out to join us.

"You look great, Haruhi!" I exclaimed. She was wearing a light blue off-the-shoulder gown with long sheer sleeves that billowed out from the elbows to her wrists. The bodice of the dress was covered in matching embroidery, and she had a headband of the same color in her hair.

"Thanks!" She laughed. "This is the first time I've actually _liked_ what the twins picked out for me."

"Wait, if you're wearing that, won't that be showing everyone you're a girl?" I asked, the thought finally striking me.

"Well yeah, but at the fair today Kyoya told me that I'd hosted my one thousandth customer, so my debt is repaid and I don't have to be a host anymore." Haruhi explained. "We should probably get going, Tamaki will think we got into a car accident or something if we're late." She hugged her dad. "See you there, Dad."

"You too, sweetheart. Have fun!"

The carriage ride was the perfect start to the evening. People on the sidewalks stopped and stared as we passed; some even commenting to their friends about us. Rather than feeling embarrassed at the attention, we just laughed and waved at them. Arriving at Ouran, Haruhi and I directed Katie to the music room where we'd meet up with the hosts. After everyone else had arrived at the ball, we were going to be presented one couple at a time.

"You look lovely tonight, Katie." Kyoya smiled and they shared a kiss. Kyoya was looking particularly dashing himself in his all-black tuxedo.

"Oh my God!" Kaoru had an awed smile on his face when he saw me. "You look amazing, Valerie!"

"So do you, Kaoru." I blushed. He was wearing a classic tuxedo, only the vest and long tie he had on were orange. Looking over at Hikaru I saw that he was wearing the same thing, only his vest and tie were blue. Before I could say anything else, we had to go to wait outside the ballroom's doors. As they started bringing us in two at a time, I felt butterflies surge through my stomach.

Karou gently squeezed my hand. "It's going to be fine."

"I hope so."

When we finally heard our names, I took a deep breath and walked arm in arm with Kaoru into the ballroom. Everyone seemed to be in awe of Kaoru and I, but I ignored that because I was in awe of the scene laid out in front of me. The women and girls were all wearing long evening dresses and the men and boys were in tuxedos. This was going to be one memorable night.

**0000**

Two hours later, the ball was in full swing and I was having a great time. While I'd spent most of the ball dancing with Kaoru, I'd danced with Tamaki three times and Kyoya twice, and I was now sharing a second dance with Hikaru.

"Aren't you glad you listened to me and stayed here?" Hikaru asked as we danced.

"I have to admit that I am." I nodded. "I guess Kaoru and I appreciate each other even more now."

"He really does love you as much as he says he does." Hikaru grinned, and it looked like he knew something I didn't. The song ended and we went to go get ourselves some refreshment. Coming back from the drinks table I saw that Katie was standing with Kyoya and his father. Given the fallout that had happened the previous day, I couldn't help but linger to listen to them.

"Kyoya, while I never thought you'd have feelings for a commoner girl, I must say that Katie is a fine young lady. She is highly intelligent, does excellently in school and is a hard worker, just the kind of girl I had hoped you'd become involved with. What I am trying to say is that I approve of your relationship."

I let out a sigh of relief along with Katie and Kyoya. It seemed what Katie had said to Mr. Otori had some impact on him.

"I appreciate your compliments and approval, Father, but how did you find all that out about her?" Kyoya asked, and I could tell that Katie wanted to know the same thing.

"Well, Kyoya," Mr. Otori's eyes glinted the same way his son's did, "you're not the only Otori that researches the backgrounds of people."

Katie and Kyoya looked slightly scandalized while I had to stifle a laugh. So _that's _where Kyoya had gotten that from!

It was then time for the last song of the evening. To my shock it was also announced that the song had been chosen for Kaoru and I to share together. Listening to the opening notes of the song, I realized it was "What Makes You Different" by the Backstreet Boys.

As we danced, I realized just how perfectly the song went with our relationship. I was pretty different from the rest of the girls at Ouran, but that's what drew Kaoru to me. While I felt that I didn't fit in with everyone else, Kaoru loved me for who I was. That meant a heck of a lot to me since I never thought I'd find a guy like that. Looking into his eyes, I saw nothing but love in them. I wished that moment could have lasted forever, but all too soon the song ended and everyone in the ballroom applauded us.

"Valerie, follow me outside for a few minutes." Kaoru whispered amidst the applause. As confused as I was, I did as he requested. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and petals were floating all around us as they fell. We sat down on a bench in the courtyard and just sat there enjoying each other's company before Kaoru cleared his throat.

"Valerie, there's something that I really need to say to you." Kaoru said. "I want to apologize for seeming so distant and nervous, I've just had something on my mind for the last couple of days."

"It's okay Kaoru, really. Is it still bothering you, though?"

"No. I've thought long and hard about it and I feel I've made the right choice. Can I ask you something?"

I nodded. "Kaoru, you know you can ask me anything."

"Okay. Here goes." He took a deep breath before took my hand in his and looked into my eyes. "Valerie Russell…will you marry me?"

I stared at him, dumbfounded. I shook my head; I had to be hearing things. "I'm sorry…what?"

"Will you marry me?" Kaoru repeated, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he had to ask me again.

"Kaoru, we're only seventeen."

"I know. We don't have to get married now."

"Oh my God…you're serious." I gasped.

"Of course I am, sweetheart. If you say yes, I promise that if we still want to do this by the time we graduate, we'll get married. Agree?"

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this, but…sure." I smiled. We laughed and Kaoru hugged me. I frowned. "Wait, we have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Um…if we're engaged, well sort of…I'll need a ring."

Kaoru smiled. "How about this?" He reached into his pocket and took out a box. When he opened it, I saw a platinum engagement ring with two small rectangular diamonds on either side of the emerald-shaped diamond in the center. It was big enough to be noticed but still elegant, and it was the kind of ring I'd pick out for myself.

"Kaoru…it's perfect." A few tears escaped my eyes as he slid it onto my finger, but they were tears of pure joy. The next thing I knew, my arms were wrapped around his neck as his arms encircled my waist as we kissed. Eventually I broke off, as much as I wanted to keep kissing him. "It's getting late, I think we should head back to my house. I can't wait to tell everyone."

"Me either, they're going to be thrilled." Kaoru agreed.

As much as we both wished we could stay in that one spot, we knew we couldn't. We had people to tell and plans to start making. While the wedding itself was so far away, I knew it would be worth the wait. I couldn't wait to become Mrs. Kaoru Hitachiin.

**The End**

**A/N: Well, there you have it folks, the final chapter for Two Roses for One Princess! I had a blast writing this. Knowing that so many people enjoyed it and encouraged me to keep going was the best part. I'm definitely going to keep writing Ouran fanfics, I've already started planning a new one. By the way, I've decided to write A SEQUEL to this, so keep your eyes open for it! Till next time, everyone! **


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